James George Veneris
James Veneris was born in the year 1922 in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. When he graduated high school he decided to join the army in 1940 and fought for 5 years until World War II ended. He then rejoined the army and served in the Korean War. His rank was private and he was part of the the United States Army. During the Korean War the Chinese attacked and surrounded the Americans, causing James to hide in a hole on a mountain. He then surrendered because he saw how well the prisoners were being treated, but he had his mind set on that they were going to just kill him anyway. The Chinese had a policy that their treatment for prisoners were flexible. When they first entered the POW camps they were all given supplies to write to their families (they were treated so nicely because the Chinese and Korean people believed that the GIs were not causing the war). People assumed that James was brainwashed by the Chinese, but James disagrees. He was one of the very few that decided to stay and not return to the United States. He was given a dishonorable discharge and did not pay back for the time he spent in the prison camp. James states "I love the American people, I say that I also love the Chinese people." James lived and took a job in China for many years. James had a Chinese name he took known as Lao Wen. He married three times and did have two children(one boy and one girl). The children moved to the United States in the 1990s. James passed away in 2004 and was buried in Shandong.
James Veneris was born in the year 1922 in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. When he graduated high school he decided to join the army in 1940 and fought for 5 years until World War II ended. He then rejoined the army and served in the Korean War. His rank was private and he was part of the the United States Army. During the Korean War the Chinese attacked and surrounded the Americans, causing James to hide in a hole on a mountain. He then surrendered because he saw how well the prisoners were being treated, but he had his mind set on that they were going to just kill him anyway. The Chinese had a policy that their treatment for prisoners were flexible. When they first entered the POW camps they were all given supplies to write to their families (they were treated so nicely because the Chinese and Korean people believed that the GIs were not causing the war). People assumed that James was brainwashed by the Chinese, but James disagrees. He was one of the very few that decided to stay and not return to the United States. He was given a dishonorable discharge and did not pay back for the time he spent in the prison camp. James states "I love the American people, I say that I also love the Chinese people." James lived and took a job in China for many years. James had a Chinese name he took known as Lao Wen. He married three times and did have two children(one boy and one girl). The children moved to the United States in the 1990s. James passed away in 2004 and was buried in Shandong.
