Chan Family WWII Timeline (1937-1945)

Overview

This timeline documents the Chan family’s experiences during World War II, particularly the Japanese occupation of China and the Philippines. Both Jesse Chan and Betty Chan survived the war as children, experiencing displacement, starvation, hiding, and liberation. Their survival stories shaped their values and the trajectory of their family for generations.

Historical Context

Japanese Military Expansion

1937: Second Sino-Japanese War begins (invasion of China)
1940: Japanese expand into Southeast Asia
1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7), US enters war
1941-1942: Japanese occupy Hong Kong, Philippines, and much of China
1945: Japan surrenders (August 15)

Impact on Chinese and Filipino Families

Millions displaced from homes
Mass starvation under occupation
Forced collaboration or resistance
Families scattered across regions
Children grew up in caves, hiding, constant movement

Family Events Timeline

File	date	type	location	participants	description
1940 Betty Flees Japanese	1940	war-event	Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines	\|Betty Chan \|Benito-Lo-Kuchiam \|Ines-Chavez-Uy	Betty Chan (age 5-10) fled Japanese invasion of Philippines multiple times with family, hiding in forest caves, fishing village island, and mother’s hometown village
1940s Jesse and Colonel Friendship	1942	war-event	Hong Kong	\|Jesse Chan Japanese Colonel (name unknown)	Jesse Chan befriended a Japanese colonel during occupation who gave him food and special pass, potentially saving his family from starvation
1945 - Liberation Day at Betty Home Manila	1945	war-event	Sulu, Manila, Philippines	\|Betty Chan \|Ines-Chavez-Uy \|Benito-Lo-Kuchiam	Liberation Day at Betty’s family refuge in Sulu - Japanese soldiers came asking for food (mother gave them Palitaw dessert), then about an hour later American soldiers arrived with MacArthur’s liberation

Parallel Stories: Jesse in China, Betty in Philippines

Jesse Chan’s War (Ages 8-16)

1937-1941: Flight to Fujian

Location: Hong Kong → Jiaji Village, Yongchun County, Fujian Province

Jesse living in Hong Kong with mother after father’s death (age 3)
Japanese attack Hong Kong
Mother moved family to ancestral village in Fujian mountains
Lived in Jiaji Village for 3 years during occupation
Only part of China “Japanese didn’t fully occupy” according to Jesse
Lived in ancestral village in mountains

Daily Life:

Elementary and high school education continued in village
Learned Hokkien/Fujian dialect
Family lived in traditional Chinese village setting
Worked on family genealogy book during summers (tried to avoid it)

1941-1945: Under Japanese Occupation

The Japanese Colonel Friendship (most remarkable story):

Initial Contact:

Chinese civilians starving under Japanese occupation
Jesse (teenager) approached Japanese soldiers asking for food
Japanese colonel took special liking to Jesse
Colonel: “Anything you want, you just tell me. I give it to you.”

Daily Provisions:

Japanese forces slaughtered 3 pigs daily
Colonel gave Jesse one whole leg each day
Jesse shared meat with neighbors and friends
Sustained Jesse’s family through starvation period

Special Privileges:

Colonel gave Jesse special pass
All Chinese had to bow to Japanese soldiers at checkpoints
Jesse could show pass and soldiers bowed to him instead
Extraordinary reversal of power during occupation

The Adoption Offer:

After one year, colonel offered to take Jesse to Philippines or Japan
Colonel wanted to adopt Jesse to Japan
Mother warned: “He won’t take you to Philippines. He’ll take you to Japan and you’ll never come back.”
Mother prevented the adoption - likely saved Jesse’s life or prevented permanent separation

Air Raids and Hiding:

Family had to run to caves during Japanese air attacks
Mother tied hard-boiled eggs around Jesse’s waist for emergency food
Sometimes ran to shelters 10 times in one day
“Everyone did that” - constant state of emergency
Southern China had many caves for sheltering
Caves rough during war, now tourist attractions with lights

1945: Post-War Shanghai

Location: Shanghai, China

After Japanese surrender, family moved to Shanghai
Jesse wanted to join military to “fight Japanese” but war had ended
Wanted to be Navy pilot - influenced by neighbors
Too young to qualify (just finished elementary school)
Family continued moving: Shanghai → other places → back to Shanghai → village

Betty Chan’s War (Ages 5-10)

1940: Flight from Daet

Location: Daet, Camarines Norte → Island refuge

The Escape:

Japanese Commander asked Betty’s father (Chinese Chamber of Commerce president) to collaborate
Father refused and fled same evening with family
Fled by small motorless boat to Mercedes fishing village
Wooden navigator broke near shore with large rocks
Filipino neighbors offered vacation house on an island

Island Hiding:

Family hid in forest cave when Japanese soldiers approached
Japanese searched but did not find them
Mother prayed constantly during hiding
Betty (age 5) was “very unhappy that I had to leave all my toys”
Remembered leaving toys that filled whole bookcase

Aftermath:

Japanese took over family house and warehouse in Daet
Japanese soldiers housed in copra warehouse
Family moved to mother’s hometown village
Cousin Conching had to hide far from village when Japanese wandered through

1942-1945: Manila Under Occupation

Location: Manila, Philippines

Father decided to move to Manila for better opportunities
Long train ride to Manila
Details of Manila years to be documented

1945: Liberation Day

Location: Betty’s home, Manila

MacArthur’s Return (fulfilling “I Shall Return” promise):

American forces liberated Manila
Japanese soldiers came to Betty’s house
Two Japanese soldiers ran through second-story sala
American soldiers following behind shot the Japanese soldiers
Young Betty witnessed this in her own home
Mother immediately cleaned up the blood - “You know mother”
Traumatic but liberating moment

Liberation Impact:

American forces retook Philippines
Japanese occupation ended
Family could return to normal life
Betty’s war memories: toys, hiding, violence, then freedom

Causation Chains

Chain 1: Japanese Expansion → Family Dispersal

Trigger: Japanese military aggression

1937: Japan invades China
- Led to → Jesse’s family flees Hong Kong to Fujian
1940: Japan expands to Philippines
- Led to → Betty’s father refuses collaboration
- Led to → Betty’s family flees Daet
1941: Japan occupies Hong Kong, Manila
- Led to → Both families living under occupation
- Led to → Starvation, hiding, displacement

Chain 2: Survival Strategies

Jesse’s Strategy: Approach occupiers for food
- Led to → Befriending Japanese colonel
- Led to → Special privileges and food
- Led to → Family survival
- But → Mother prevented adoption to Japan
Betty’s Strategy: Hide and wait
- Led to → Cave hiding from searches
- Led to → Move to mother’s village
- Led to → Move to Manila
- Led to → Witness liberation

Chain 3: War → Values → Future Generations

Survival Experience:

Jesse learned: Adaptability, bravery, networking, languages
Betty learned: Faith, resilience, importance of family

Led to Values:

Education as path out of vulnerability
Hard work and self-sufficiency
Bravery in face of injustice
Family cohesion and protection

Led to Actions:

Jesse sacrificed for brothers’ education (though he couldn’t attend)
Both worked extremely hard to educate their four children
All four children to US universities with scholarships
Educational trauma transformed into educational achievement

Chain 4: Displacement → Multilingualism → Opportunity

Jesse’s Language Acquisition:

Born in Philippines, mother Cantonese → Cantonese
Fled to Hong Kong → Maintained Cantonese
Fled to Fujian village → Learned Hokkien/Fujian dialect
Moved to Shanghai → Learned Shanghainese, Mandarin
Returned to Philippines → Relearned Tagalog, learned English

Result: 7 languages by adulthood Advantage: Could do business across multiple Chinese and Filipino communities

Key Themes

Childhood Innocence Lost

Jesse: Teenage years spent hiding, starving, befriending enemy
Betty: Age 5-10 fleeing, hiding in caves, witnessing soldiers shot
Both: Normal childhood replaced by survival
Both: Remarkable resilience despite trauma

Complex Moral Situations

Jesse and the Colonel:

Befriending occupying forces to survive
Taking food from enemy while compatriots starved
But sharing with neighbors - not hoarding
Accepting privileges (special pass, not bowing)
Risking adoption to Japan for family survival

Betty’s Father:

Refusing to collaborate (principled stand)
Endangering family by refusing (practical risk)
Successfully escaping and protecting family

Survival Intelligence

Jesse: Social intelligence - befriending colonel, sharing resources
Betty’s family: Strategic intelligence - knowing when to flee, where to hide
Both: Adapting to circumstances beyond their control
Both: Accepting help from unexpected sources (Filipino neighbors, Japanese colonel)

Gender and Age During War

Jesse: Teenage boy could approach soldiers, work, move freely
Betty: Young girl had to hide, couldn’t attract attention
Cousin Conching: Young woman had to hide from soldiers (implied danger)
Different vulnerabilities based on age and gender

Lasting Impacts

Psychological

Jesse’s “over brave” nature - confronting injustice
Betty’s faith - mother prayed constantly, Betty remained Catholic
Both: Resilience in face of hardship
Both: Appreciation for stability (Taiwan, USA)

Educational

Jesse’s interrupted education (finished high school during/after war)
Jesse never attended college (worked so brothers could)
Determination that their children would have stable education
Investment in Taipei American School, US universities

Geographic

Jesse never returned to China permanently
Betty never returned to Daet
Both: Multi-country life became normal
Prepared them for Taiwan migration (1968)

Family Values

Education above all
Family cohesion and protection
Faith and prayer (Betty)
Bravery and justice (Jesse)
Adaptability across cultures

Historical Significance

Civilian Perspective on WWII

Most WWII documentation focuses on military/political
Jesse and Betty’s stories show civilian survival
Oral histories preserve personal experiences
Family memory maintains details historians might miss

Chinese Diaspora During War

Shows how war scattered Chinese families
Jesse’s family: Philippines → Hong Kong → Fujian → Shanghai → Philippines
Multiple displacements within Chinese diaspora community
War accelerated diaspora patterns

Filipino-Chinese Community

Betty’s father: Chinese Chamber of Commerce president
Status didn’t protect from Japanese demands
Had to choose: collaborate or flee
Community rebuilt after liberation

Comparison to Other Family Members

Jesse’s Siblings (6 total)

All experienced same displacement
All finished high school during/after war
Five went to college (Jesse worked instead)
Some stayed in China, some to Hong Kong, Jesse to Philippines
War scattered the siblings permanently

Betty’s Sibling

Brother taken to China by paternal grandmother
Not allowed to return to Philippines
Another casualty of war and family separation

Research Questions

Exact dates of Jesse’s family movements during war
Name of Japanese colonel who befriended Jesse
Which battles/operations caused air raids Jesse experienced
More details on Betty’s Manila years under occupation
Betty’s father’s name and business details
What happened to family properties in Daet after war
Did Jesse’s family suffer any casualties during war?
Did Betty’s extended family suffer casualties?
How did families rebuild after liberation?

Sources

Primary (Firsthand Accounts)

Lolo Interview Jesse Chan - Jesse’s direct testimony
Betty Chan My Story - Betty’s written memories
Betty Chan Lolas Story 80th Birthday - Betty’s oral history

Supporting

Jiaji Village Taihai Magazine Article - Context on Jesse’s refuge location
Historical records on Japanese occupation of China and Philippines

The Chan family’s WWII experiences (1937-1945) shaped three generations. Jesse and Betty’s childhood survival through displacement, starvation, hiding, and occupation instilled values of education, hard work, bravery, and family devotion that would carry their children to American universities and their grandchildren to professional success. Their wartime trauma was transformed into peacetime achievement across 80 years.

Loui Family

Explorer