Former Marine platoon leader finds forgiveness for World War II atrocity

[Bill Mattocks]

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/His-long-journey-of-redemption-2674441.php

Difficult story to read. I also found it historically interesting, because I did not know we had US Marines fighting in China after the end of WWII, alongside former enemy Japanese solders and Chinese Nationalists, against Chinese Communist forces. I knew about Chiang Kai-shek, but not as much as I needed to apparently.

COLONIE — It took 66 years and a journey of 8,000 miles for a 21-year-old U.S. Marine Corps platoon leader to find forgiveness for his role in a wartime atrocity.

"Before they pull the sheet over me, I wanted to seek justice," said Ed Bloch, an 87-year-old union organizer, peace activist and leader of the local Interfaith Alliance. "I'm a Presbyterian Jew and a half-assed person of faith. I felt I had sinned. I needed to make amends."

The massacre occurred on an overcast day in November 1945, three months after the Japanese surrender that ended World War II. Leading an unlikely alliance of Japanese and Chinese Nationalist soldiers, Bloch gave the order to open fire on a tiny village of unarmed Chinese civilians believed to be saboteurs who had derailed a train.

 

[Tez3]

What on earth is a 'Presbyterian Jew'?

While people revile the communists they also need to have a good look at the Nationalist the communists were fighting against. they need to hhave a good look too at chinese history, while not making apologies for the communists actions it is unlikely that China would have thrived under the nationalists and their corruption. communism is proabbaly the only thing that could have dragged China into the 20th century from the Dark Ages it was in, and it really was worst than medieval. People think the communists were bad, they were positive angels compared to what China had before, that's how bad it was.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Here's a link to a video interview.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/media/Atoning-for-WWII-atrocity-21441.php

 

[granfire]

What on earth is a 'Presbyterian Jew'?

While people revile the communists they also need to have a good look at the Nationalist the communists were fighting against. they need to hhave a good look too at chinese history, while not making apologies for the communists actions it is unlikely that China would have thrived under the nationalists and their corruption. communism is proabbaly the only thing that could have dragged China into the 20th century from the Dark Ages it was in, and it really was worst than medieval. People think the communists were bad, they were positive angels compared to what China had before, that's how bad it was.

Holds true for many Eastern countries. Except for Cambodia...

But I guess the story is supposed to lead elsewhere.