Repairing the past: Chinese grassroots memory actors and the restoration and expansion of the Cemetery for Aviation Martyrs in Nanjing.

This article examines the role of grassroots memory actors—specifically Chinese World War II aviation veterans, their families, and families of fallen airmen—in restoring and expanding the Cemetery for Aviation Martyrs in Nanjing from the early 1980s to the 2000s. These actors, marginalized due to their affiliation with the Republic of China Air Force during the war, strategically negotiated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities to rehabilitate the cemetery, add monuments honoring all Chinese and foreign airmen who died defending China against Japan, and establish a museum providing historical context. Their efforts complemented the CCP's evolving nationalist narrative by promoting recognition of Nationalist aviators while aligning with state goals such as national reunification and international diplomacy. Although the site's narratives have since been reshaped by government authorities, the grassroots actors' initiatives highlight the complex, negotiated nature of war commemoration in an authoritarian context and the agency of non-state actors within China's memory politics.