Wen Chao's Obituary
趙文生平(1928-2014)趙文 於一九二八年八月五日出生在雲南昆明的一個大家庭. 家裡有十一個孩子,他排行男孩第六. 昆明是一個四季如春的城市. 雖然地處中國西南邊陲,但卻是一個文化氣息濃厚的城市. 三四十年代,作為抗戰時期的大後方, 很多大學, 學生和文人知識份子都從日本人占據的北方來到昆明. 比如北京大學,清華大學和南開大學聯合成立的國立西南聯大就遷到了昆明. 趙家是昆明城的名門望族; 家裡的孩子們都受到了西式教育. 趙文進的就是著名的西南聯大附中. 驅於理想和抱負, 畢業後他就瞞著家裡進入了黃埔軍校, 從此離開了他的家人和故鄉雲南昆明. 很多年以後, 雲南的秀麗風光, 過橋米線, 家裡的老屋和親人始終在他的夢中縈繞.黃埔軍校是孫中山創立, 蔣介石領導的中國最著名的軍校,培養了無數優秀的軍事將才. 趙文於一九四五年進入抗戰時遷至成都的黃埔軍校, 又名陸軍軍官軍校, 成為第二十一期的學員,學的是工兵. 一九四七年畢業後就參加了國共內戰, 跟隨著國民黨部隊轉戰於山東,上海和廣西. 一九四九年,國民政府離開大陸到台灣後, 趙文隨著黃杰部隊由廣西進入越南,一九五三年從越南富國島去了台灣. 在越南的經歷讓他難忘; 他也一直都很懷念越南的米線.一九五三年來到台灣後, 先後任職於空軍工程聯隊及裝甲兵司令部. 期間還在金門的部隊呆過半年. 在蔣總統視察金門時, 他還 同其親切交談. 他始終都記得蔣總統和藹可親的態度. 一九七一年趙文從軍中退伍, 告別了二十幾年的軍旅生活.一九五七年是他的一生中的一個重要的時刻. 他在高雄的一間小學認識了在那兒教書的翁慕蘭. 一開始, 他只是順路送翁女士回高雄的家, 時間長了, 兩位就墜入了愛河. 一九五九年他們結婚了, 同年長子趙彥方出生, 給他們帶來了無限的歡樂. 生活雖然清貧但是安定, 平穩和扎實. 以後的五十五年他們倆再也沒有分開過.也可能出生於商人的家庭, 趙文很有做生意的基因. 剛到了台灣, 就開始了投資,只是第一次沒有成功. 退伍後便從事國際貿易進出口業務. 後來,兒子趙彥方在美國成家立業, 趙文夫婦就於一九九七年移居美國,定居於加州的佛利蒙市, 享受天倫之樂. 不過, 台灣做為他的第二故鄉卻深深地扎根於他的心中.就是在生病的時候,他還是念念不忘台灣, 希望能夠再回去走走看看. 趙文是一個性情中人, 為人坦率, 正直, 始終保持著軍人的嚴於律己的風格. 但是他也是一個家居男人, 對太太照顧得無微不至. 他的性格樂觀, 從不抱怨. 就是在得知自己患了肺癌後, 還是積極樂觀地治療. 趙文與二零一四年三月十日上午離開了他的親人, 但是他的音容笑貌將永遠銘刻在他的親人的心中.Chao, Wen (1928-2014) Chao Wen was born on August 5th, 1928 into a large family in Kunming of China’s Yunnan province. The Chaos had eleven children, and Wen was the sixth of the boys. Kunming is the city of eternal spring. Although situated in the border area of China’s southwest, it is a city of culture. As a home front during the war times of the late 1930s and 1940s, many intellectuals, students and universities moved to Yunnan from the Japanese occupied northern and eastern China. The National Southwestern Associated University merged by Beijing University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University was located in Kunming during this time. The Chaos was a prominent family in Kunming, and all the children received westernized education. Thus Chao Wen went to a famous middle school attached to the Southwestern Associate University. Driven by the ideal and ambition, Chao Wen, without letting his family know, went to join the Whampoa Military Academy in 1945 after graduation, leaving his family and his hometown. But the beautiful scenery of Yunnan, the rice noodles, the family’s old house, and the family folks always remained in his dreams.The Whampoa Military Academy, established by Sun Yet-sun and headed by Chiang Kai-shek, had trained many outstanding Chinese generals and military elites. Chao Wen attended the Academy relocated in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, during the Anti-Japanese War times. Chao Wen was from the twenty-first class, and studied in the engineering division. After graduating in 1947, he participated in the Civil War between the Nationalists and Communists. With the Nationalist army, he fought in the Shandong Province, Shanghai, and the Guangxi Province. After the Nationalist Government left the mainland to retreat to Taiwan, he, following the army led by Huang Jie, went to Vietnam via the Guangxi Province. He finally went to Taiwan via Phu Quoc, Vietnam in 1952. Later, he was always reminiscent of his experiences in Vietnam, and often missed the rice noodles there.After he went to Taiwan, he had been working in the engineering department of the Air Force and in the Armored Forces’ headquarters. During this time, he was also stationed in Kinmen Island for half a year. When the President Chiang Kai-shek inspected the island, Chao Wen even had a chance to talk with him. Later he often remembered Chiang’s cordiality and approachable manner. Chao retired from the army in 1971, and left the military life of more than twenty years. The year of 1957 was an important time in his life. He came to know Weng Mulan who taught in an elementary school in Kaohsiung. At first, he only gave her a ride to her home but gradually they fell in love. They got married in 1957 and in the same year their first son was born, which gave them a tremendous joy. Although their life was simple, it was stable, smooth and solid. They never left each other for the next fifty five years.Born into a merchant family, Chao always had a keen interest in business. Ever since he arrived at Taiwan, he started to invest though the first investment did not do well. After his retirement from the army, he worked in the international trade and business. Later his son established his career and family in the United States. Chao Wen and his wife then immigrated to the States to join his son’s family. They had been living in Fremont of California since then. Nevertheless, Taiwan, as his second hometown, was deeply rooted in his heart, and he always missed it. Even when he was very sick, he was still hoping to go back to see Taiwan.Chao Wen was a frank, honest and self-disciplined man, traits that trace back to his military career; he was also a family man, caring and considerate to his wife and family. He was optimistic by nature, and never complained about anything in life. Even when he found out he got a lung cancer, he was still optimistic about the treatments. Chao Wen passed away in the morning of March 10th, 2014, but his smiles and voice will be forever remembered by his family.Services in his honor will be held at Skylawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park.
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