by St Louis Alliance for Preserving the Truth of Sino-Japanese War, Sherwin Liou, Walter Ko
Mr. Whitney R Harris (1912 - 2010) was a great friend of Chinese people. He passed away on April 21 at 97. Born in Seattle, Washington, he graduated with a law degree in 1936 and practiced law in Los Angeles. In 1942, the year after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, he joined the Navy investigating war crime in Europe. In 1945, he became the team member of Supreme Court Judge, Robert Jackson in the Nuremberg Trial. He was the American prosecutor in the trial of Nazi Germany leaders. In witness to this proceeding, he documented in the book, Tyranny on Trial.
In 1997, Iris Chang wrote the book, Rape of Nanking. With the encouragement of St Louis Alliance of Preserving the Truth of Sino-Japanese War, independent film producer Lou Reda decided to make a documentary with the same title. Mr. Harris was interviewed to speak for the victims. It was scheduled on Cable History Channel in late August 1999. Mr. & Mrs. Lou Reda flew for the premiere show hosted by St Louis Alliance. Lou spoke in tears in his introduction. Mr. Harris was the speaker. He said: Nanking Massacre was a history event. We should keep vigilant on the horror of tyranny and prevent its occurrence. This show was well reviewed with high rating. British Columbia Association for Learning & Preserving the History of WW II in Asia of Canada, President, Thekla Lit duped into Mandarin with caption with the help of local Chinese television station. In the Commemoration of Rape of Nanking of December 13, this film was shown in Tokyo, Nanking and Peking. This film was the first documentary on this subject produced in the West.
As a US Marines in the Philippines in WW II, Lou Reda is an honorable man. He decided to donate the Mandarin version to the Beijing Museum. Unable to go himself, he delegated to Mr. and Mrs. Harris together with Mr. & Mrs. Sherwin Liou, Mr. & Mrs. Walter Ko of St Louis Alliance. On April 17 2002, the ceremony took place in the museum with Walter as the interpreter and he said: Aggressive war is the root of war crime and crime against humanity. There were strong evidences on the Rape of Nanking... People of the world must support each other for a peaceful world. He was interviewed by CCTV. The next day, this team of guests from America visited the nearby Marco Polo Bridge on which in July 7 1937 Japanese invaders in manufactured pretext waged a full scale aggression and it mobilized the Chinese people in strong resistance.
In April 2005, Japan applied for United Nation Security Council membership. Mr. Harris wrote to Walter in support Global Alliance opposition to Japan’s petition because of no apology for WW II war crimes. August 15 was the 60th anniversary of V_J Day. St Louis alliance had a commemoration with the honorable guests of American Legion, CBI veterans and the Jewish survivors who escaped Nazi Germany and settled in Shanghai. Mr. Harris, the keynote speaker, said, "I hope to build a world of peace and prosperity without racial discrimination".
Mr. Harris had an admirable life of truth, peace, humanity and justice. Nuremberg Trial was not victor against loser. It established a legal procedure in gathering evidence in conviction on war crime, crime against humanity, and crime against peace. This procedure prevailed in Tokyo Trial in charging Japanese war criminals with ample evidences. It was meaningful and significant for him with such status to speak up for the victims of Rape of Nanking. He was the Greatest American in the Greatest Generation. His contribution to the establishment of International Criminal Court is significant in the trial of war mongers. He gave us a better world. We are willing to learn from him as our role model and will carry on his mission of a world of peace with justice.
May the spirit of Mr. Whitney Harris live forever! |
