World War: Chen's Head

Every nation in wartime derives inspiration from its own peculiar tales of heroism. Some are legend, some are fact. Legend or fact, a tale was told by the Chinese last week of Chen Chung-chu, a guerrilla leader in the never-never land of North China behind the Japanese lines.

As an ace officer of General Li Tsung-jen, Chen needled the Japanese so spectacularly that they made a special expedition to mop up him and his men.

The Japanese beheaded Chen Chung-chu. They left the body for the villagers, took the head away.

Chen's wife next day went to see her husband. She knew that...

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