"In 1938... I was sent to Shanghai (from Ningbo) to go to school... It was the second year of junior high school. The school was in the International Settlement set in a private residence temporily. I became so interested in Hollywood movies after I came to Shanghai that I see at least three movies sometimes six every week. It was one reason I spend more time study English and become interested in English books and magazines.
"In fall of 1943, I entered Northwestern Engineering College at Chen Kao (Chenggu), about 400 miles south of Xian. Only a few months after school start, the government start enlisting college students to be interpreters for incoming of American instructors to train Chinese army how to use U.S. weapons and do liaison work between the two forces. A test was held in the college. Only few were qualified as the standard of English was rather low in that area and I was the only freshman passed. Shanghai schools are usually more advanced in foreign languages.
"In the spring of 1944, I received order from Chinese Army to report for (language) training in Chungking (Chongqing) and advised me we'll have an equivalent rank of major in Chinese army and will be paid around US$100 per month. It's a very large amount those days as college professor only received $70.00 or so. For a 20 year old, it's first time I make any money and seems come so easy.
"Upon arrival at the then Foreign Affairs Bureaus of Chinese Army, I was paid first month's salary plus the travel allowances... Then, we were ordered to Kunming to join the training school. We first went to a language school for about one month during which some of us are disqualified and weeded out. Then went to another school where U.S. army officers teach courses which will be taught to Chinese soldiers later with our translation or interpretation. Upon graduation, we were given a rank in Chinese Army as major and sent to report to U.S. forces for work.
"I was sent to work as liaison officer for a U.S. anti-aircraft battery just arrived in China to guard the airfield in Pao Shan (Paoshan) and the bridge over Salween River. The first night out from Kunming, stopping for dinner at roadside restaurant, The U.S. officer ordered scrambled eggs, which I didn't know as never learned the word scrambled in school so he end up get a fried egg. Only by hand gesture afterward I learned what is scrambled eggs but too late as the eggs were already fried.
"In winter of 1944, Burma Road was opened again. The U.S. battery was sent home and I went back to Kunming with two weeks vacation. At end of vacation, I was sent to work with a U.S. liaison team attached to a Chinese 60 mm pack howitzer battery in the Kwangxi (Guangxi) front. Our duty is report by radio to U.S. headquarter in Kwei Yan (Guiyang) every night the position of the front line for them to compare with report from Chinese army. One day, I was sent with an officer and a driver in a jeep to look at the front via Dushan. I was the replacement interpreter but the previous interpreter volunteered to go. The driver expected guards to stop him before the line but runs right into the machine gun fire of Japanese few hundred yards cross the line. Two days later, when the Chinese army advances, we found their bodies with overturned jeep on the roadside.
"I remember the famous reporter Theodore White came to visit us in the front. Aside of an open fire that evening we talked very late in night. In summer of 1945 we heard in the radio Japan has surrendered. I was able to hitch a ride to Shanghai on a plane the day before Mid-Autumn Festival and spend three to four days at home. One of the happiest moment of my life seeing my family again after one and half years.
"Upon returning to Chungking... we have choice of go your own way or stay for more government work as plan of training a new armed force is already there so many interpreters will be needed as military aids will all come from U.S. Afraid of losing us who has experiences, government want to keep us on payroll until definite jobs can be assigned. About 300 of us signed up and are sent to a camp outside Chungking (Chongqing) provided room and board with good pay but not much to do. With communist influence surging and the U.S. holding further aids, after six months with no jobs in view, the project was abandoned."
