MY WALK OUT PAGE
The following is a recount of our WALKOUT of the Chinese Mountains at 3:00 AM on
December 13, 1943
Our crew consisted of four officers and six enlisted men, plus one hitch-hiker
we picked up at KWEILIN prior to take off on a night mission. We were to bomb the the city
of HANKOW, China, at a low level run of aproximately 5000 feet.
After our bombing mission we were to return to our home base at YANGKAI, China.
At about 3:00 AM on our return, we were forced to bail out from about 13,000 feet. During
the time
of being over the target area, or shortly before bailing out, I noticed a serious cut
on the middle
finger of my left hand, and it was bleeding profusely,.
It was very dark when we bailed out, and luckily I had crossed my legs, as I landed in a
a group of trees. In order to keep from hanging in the trees, I unfastened the leg straps of my
parachute harness which permitted me to drop to the ground, landing in some type of sharp
thorny bushes. At this time I felt pain in my right ankle and leg.
We had been instructed to always reach the highest point in the terrain once we hit the ground.
Our Navigator had advised us to head in a northerly direction. I reached the highest
point of the hill that was in front of me, and hid there in the tall grass until daylight.
At dawn, I found the steepest side of this hill, and feeling that no one would
attempt to climb this side, I slid down in a simi sitting position until I reached the bottom.
I sat there still and listened for any kind of noise.
I had wrapped my finger in my handkerchief,and my right ankle and leg were very painful.
However when one is quite concerned about his safety, and being on the frightened side,
the pain became a secondary thought.
I wanted to take off my right shoe, but was afraid I wouldn't be able to get it back on, as
the ankle was very swollen. I just tightened the laces, and began to walk along this very narrow path,
heading in what I assumed was a northerly direction, and would eventually take me to safety.
I would stop quite frequently and listen for any kind of sounds in the area. It seemed
like hours that I would keep this up, when suddenly I encountered two individuals coming around
the bend in this path. I couldn't reach for my gun, and they did not make a move with their guns.
Both were armed, one with a very long barreled rifle, and the other with what appeared similar to
our Thompson Machine Gun. ( later I saw that it seemed to be foreign made )
When shortly, the three of us came out of shock, they saw the Chinese "CHIT" (flag) on the
back of my leather jacket. I pointed to myself and then to the sky, waving my arms, to show them I was
flying, and then pointed to the ground.
I did not have a BAIL OUT BACK PACK, as it made it too tight to get the parachute harness
on, so,
one of the crew cut it off so I could get my chute on to bail out.
I then walked around a little to show them thatI was hurt, then pointed from me to them and
then the direction I was headed. The shorter of the two pointed in that direction and then ran
his finger across his throat. I then decided that I should trust these two natives. I remembered
being told at our briefings that all the natives may dress alike, but some of them were military
deserters who kill and steal from everyone, and some were in sympathy with the Japanese
and would turn American Military Men into the Japanese for the reward they offered, and then
there were the natives who fought for the Chinese Leaders and the Nationalist Cause.
However, after giving each of these people an American Dollar and a cigarette from a pack of
Old Gold's, I really began to trust them (slightly).
They then led me off on to a different path.
We were in heavy, thick, semi-jungle type terrain, and it was very hard traveling.
I wouldn't slow down, no matter how bad the pain was. During various times that we stopped
to rest, they would want to look at my gun. I would always shake my head in a NO gesture.
Each time we stopped they would ask for another cigarette with hand gestures.
After a considerable amount of walking, we encountered two more natives approaching us
from the direction we were heading.
The four of them carried on quite a conversation while periodically glancing at me. All
four then requested a cigarette, and I then gave the two new ones a Dollar apiece.It was
then one of the new ones pointed to the direction I was heading and held up two fingers.
My hopes began to raise that maybe two more crew members were ahead.
After the four talked for awhile, the two newer men left us and we continued our walk.
After awhile we approached a sharp incline, and when we reaxhed the top I saw what
was left of a distroyed village. when we approached we could hear dogs barking, but
could see no people. I could see our path leading into the village, and at the entrance
were two small buildings, one on each side of the path. I heard an Americian voice come
from one of the buildings and he said: "HEY, THAT LOOKS LIKE DOUG" This was Lt. LaForest
and a radio operator Joe Percio. They told me that each one took a building to create a
crossfire when the wern't sure who was walking into the village.Needless to say, we were
three happy hugging men. At this time there were a few natives that came out of hiding.
By now my finger and hand were showing heavy swelling.
There were a few Chinese soldiers here, and and many more natives crowded around us.
With sign language and a pointi-talkie book that Joe had, it was decided tthat we best
leave this area as soon as possible. With some of the natives leading us, we left at twilight.
The natives put me in a chair seat that had a long poleon each side, and that was the
way they carried me. One man in front, and one in back. When one man would tire,
another would scoot in and relieve him. La Forest & Percio rode small mountain ponies
with wooden saddles. In this mountianess country we were moving during the night, and
as we traveled we could hear whistles, some came from behind us, and soe from ahead.
It seemed as if someone were giving signals. When we reached the top of a large hill
our group stopped for a rest, when out of nowhere came dozens and dozens of natives
who surrounded us, after a short rest, all the natives talking were in low voices, and it
was as if someone had given a signal, as all the natives disappeared, and our group
started to travel again.
In an hour or two, our group arrived at a village where we saw no human activity whatsoever.
Our Chinese friends found us a place to stay until morning. I don't know where they
came from, but the place became filled with people who looked at us in very strange ways.
Once again we started out with our native leaders, and as we traveled day by day we
would pick up another one of our crew members. By the sixth day we found the last
of our crew, and once again we were all traveling together.
I was in the chair car, and the rest were on those small ponies with wooden saddles.
We eventually got to an area where there was a train station, and, where we encountered
an interpreter (he knew very little english), but even that was a great help.
Through this interpreter, we wrer finally permitted to get aboard this VERY NARROW
GAUGED RAIL TRAIN. It seemed like we spent days on this very OVERCROWDED train.
which at times would have to stop due to Japanese planes that were bombing the areas.
We finally arrived at an American Advanced Air Base, and in time a C-47 was dispatched
to take us to our base in YANGKAI, China.
FIRST DAY BACK AT OUR BASE
I still have the bandage finger for which I was offered the purple heart, but refused
to accept.
below are scanned the telegrams and letters sent to my family by the military.
Telegram recieved by Mom just prior to Christmas
Follow-upletter from USAAF
HAPPY NEW YEAR
