Ministry of National Defense officials yesterday said arrangements have been made to honor distinguished veterans with a motorcade at a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Twenty-four veterans who served in the Republic of China (ROC) armed forces during WWII have been invited to participate, according to Major General Yu Tsung-chi (余宗基), head of the Cultural and Psychological Operations Division of the ministry’s Political Warfare Bureau.
Yu said the veterans — 19 from the army, three from the air force, and two from the navy — are to ride in the motorcade and receive salutations from military officials and civilians.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The parade, with troops from most military branches putting on displays of combat readiness and operating of advanced weapon systems, is to take place at the Hukuo Army Base (湖口) in Hsinchu County on Saturday.
As part of the preparations, the ministry has tailored WWII-era ROC military uniforms from modern materials appropriate for the summer heat.
Three senior veterans set to participate in Saturday’s procession were invited to don the replica uniforms at a news conference yesterday.
“This uniform fits me very well. I feel like I’ve gone back in time to those days about 70 years ago,” 91-year-old retired army staff sergeant Ou Chung-yao (歐重遙) said.
Ministry officials added that they have put the final touches on a special wartime exhibition that is to open to the public on Tuesday next week at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.
The period from 1937 to 1945 in China was known as the War of Resistance Against Japan among political leaders.
The exhibition has displays of photographs, documents, oil paintings, artifacts and multimedia mock-ups of battle scenes to educate students and the public on the important events and episodes during the war, the ministry said.
The ministry also announced a special medallion to mark “Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan,” released in a limited issue of 10,000 to commemorate this year as the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.
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