With William White (right) in front of the POW camp activities building after the Chinese took over [Photo provided by Della Adams to China Daily]

In the wee hours of Feb 24, 1954, the Americans crossed into China on a train. In line with their own wishes, some were sent to factories, some to rural villages and others, including Adams, to universities in Beijing. Adams' classmate at Renmin University (People's University), Samuel David Hawkins was the youngest among the 21 and the only known survivor of that group today.

"The emphasis was the language," Hawkins, 87, told China Daily in a recent interview. "We had an interpreter who had been with us in the POW camp. From time to time we would have jowzers (jiaozi, dumplings) and bowzer (baozi, meat stuffed steamed bread), but we all had trouble adjusting to the traditional Chinese breakfast (soupy rice with pickled turnips)."