School of Humanities and Social Science Division of Humanities 220 Division of Humanities Korean War Prisoners Oral History Interview Transcription Supervisor: CHANG David Cheng / HUMA Student: FU Yuyu / GCS-IHSS Course: UROP 1100, Spring This report demonstrates my understanding of oral history as a research methodology and how I applied it during my Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) project. It also presents my key findings from interviews with Mr. Wang Zhenhong (王振鴻), a former member of the “Anti-Japanese Traitor Killing Group” and a stenographer for the Kuomintang (KMT) Executive Headquarters in Peiping. Mr. Wang’s active involvement in political movements from the Second World War to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) coming into power are very valuable primary sources for our study of history, as they offer a unique personal perspective on a complex historical period of China. The transcriptions of his oral testimonies provide valuable insight into this transitional era in Chinese history. Finally, this report reflects on the development of my academic interest in oral history and discusses how my upcoming internship will further engage me with this field. Korean War Prisoners Oral History Interview Transcription Supervisor: CHANG David Cheng / HUMA Student: LIU Yizhou / GCS Course: UROP 1100, Summer Intending to end the Korean War quickly, Douglas MacArthur commanded the American First Marine Force as one of the major combat units to land at Chosin and advance north in the winter of 1950. However, this strategic maneuver met with limited success since the American side was confronted with the unexpected attack of the Chinese with the outbreak of the Battle of Chosin that occurred between November 27 and December 15, 1950. Trying to figure out the detailed circumstances of this combat from the perspective of the individuals instead of the political one, Prof. David Chang Cheng conducted interviews with several American soldiers of the campaign. This paper focuses on his interview with William Marvin Parks, a former U.S. Marine and survivor of the battle, to explore combatants’ perspectives on warfare and to enrich the historical interpretation of the Battle of Chosin through close analysis of the interview transcript.
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