Xie Jinyuan

Xie Jinyuan (April 26, 1905 - April 24, 1941) was an officer in the National Revolutionary Army. A Chinese Nationalist famous for commanding the Defense of Sihang Warehouse during the Battle of Shanghai in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Xie was captured after the battle, and held at Shanghai for three years with the rest of those who had been taken. While in Shanghai, Xie Jinyuan, and other officers where visited as they hosted classes for soldiers on foriegn language, mathmatics, and christian theology. The Japanese occupiers constantly disrupted these efforts. However he, and his men, refused to stop. The Japanese occupiers eventually made Xie, and his men, an offer; that they could leave as refugees, if they vowed never to take up arms against them. Xie refused the offer. Wang Jinwei, of the collaboratory government (the one under the Japanese occuypiers) even offered Xie a position as a cheif of staff for his government. Xie refused, saying; "my parents are Chinese and their son also is Chinese. Chinese are never slaves."

On the morning of 24 April 1941, Xie was assassinated by Sergeant Hao Dingcheng and three other soldiers who had been bribed by the collaborationist government. All four attackers were immediately caught. More than 100,000 people turned up for his funeral and he was posthumously promoted to Major General.