Upon arrival in China, we were put in an Operations Center to await transportation, when a sergeant came in and asked for "two more coolies" to help unload the plane. Why? Because they just shot the last two for stealing. One stole a pair of socks, the other stole a pack of cigarettes. Simple (No more Stealing). This was done by the Chinese Army MP's. We ended up being housed at a former girls' school, now the HQ of Y Force, China.. After meeting our compatriots of the 993rd Signal Company we started some training. We 6 spent many days in the field with a Radio Operator practicing our radio and code work. On one occasion we were set up under some trees with our radio station, which consisted of a radio powered with a Hand Crank Generator, usually cranked by a Chinese soldier, a radio operator and a cryptographer. This day a brilliant Chinese soldier decided to knock a wasp's nest out of the tree above us. Panic city! The radio op split and also the coolie cranking the generator. I finally got another one to crank in the power and I ran the radio. I kept being told to slow down, which was funny as my Morse Code dated from my Boy Scout days.
You Dad served under General “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell
CBI
Hat Tip
Old China Hand was a hoot!
Laws what do we do now? LOL