Reminiscence of My Father

by Kao-Zon John Wei

Verging upon the Mausoleum of Emporer Yan,

Through turbulence my father moved to Taiwan.

He taught the legends of Yan and Huang,

Every child was urged to be a patriotic nobleman.

Flowing as a river for five thousand years,

Yet it were the two ancestors who began.

We pay tribute to them during festivals,

As my father’s inculcation developed in Hunan.

My father Wei, Bu-cheng (1920 – 1997), was a native of Yanling County, Hunan Province, China.  In order to fight against Japanese invaders, he joined the Nationalist Army.  In battles he was wounded many times.  In 1945 he was assigned to restore the sovereignty of Taiwan to the motherland.  He married my mother, who was born in Taiwan, and together they raised five children.  He always taught his children to love our motherland and to maintain Chinese traditions.  On this special occasion during which we commemorate our forefather Emporer Yan, I dedicate my father’s teaching as a special tribute to our common ancestor.