Recognition, assistance help restore pride among KMT vets (2)

POVERTY AND LONELINESS

Though they survived the horrors of war, a large number of KMT soldiers are suffering from loneliness and poverty.

A 93-year-old KMT soldier made headlines recently, after he was found living in a narrow apartment beside a foul public toilet for over 30 years in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.

An investigation by the foundation last year showed that of the 533 veterans they have located in Hunan, those who live in urban areas earn a monthly salary of between 1,000 to 2,000 yuan, while their counterparts in the countryside only get 60 yuan.

"Many vets never married, as some were confined to labor camps for as long as two decades after their troops lost the civil war. Also, girls then often shunned them because of their experience with the 'enemy,'" Sun said.

Lai En'dian clearly remembers his shock when visiting a blind veteran in Hunan in 2007. "There was not a real piece of furniture in the room. He said he was so poor that he hadn't eaten any meat for three months."

Some soldiers living alone are concerned about who will hold a funeral for them, which is traditionally a duty of offspring, according to Lai.

The veterans' situation has improved in recent years, with local governments increasing their efforts to promote veterans' welfare and NGOs that provide assistance are thriving, said Chen Xibao, who used to head the Anhui branch of the student association with the KMT-founded Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy.