Dong Jimin, 109, who joined the army in the wake of the Mukden Incident, also known as the September 18th Indecent in 1931, has been awarded honorary certificates and a medal by the Forum on Mutual Aid for the anti-Japanese Veterans.

File photo of Dong Jimin

"Dong Jimin, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your outstanding contributions to the country during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression," Cao Zhibang, head of the Forum, read from the certificate.

"It is a great honor for me", said the veteran.

The certificate will be preserved as an archive, said Cao.

Dong smiled when told his and other war heroes, hand prints would be put on display at the Jianchuan museum in Chengdu, after leaving them and his signature.

Dong from Leting, Hebei province was born on Dec 20, 1904 and moved, at a young age to Jilin city, Jilin province with his family. He worked in accounts at a local store before joining the then Jilin 682 regiment, led by General Feng Zhanhai in 1931. He was responsible for paper work in logistics.

He moved to Zhangjiakou, Hebei province with the army in 1932, later becoming a Lieutenant quartermaster in Shaoyang, Hunan province and took part in several notable battles.

"I joined the army without regret," said the veteran who witnessed the Japanese army’s surrender in Jinzhou, Liaoning province.

Dong now lives with his family in Beijing.