CBI Rescue
Troop Carrier Non-Com Survives
Epic Parachute Drop In Burma
Drops Over 7,000 Feet With Only Arm In Ring
By PVT. W. E. CHILTON Roundup Field Correspondent
SECOND TROOP CARRIER SQ., ASSAM – From the confusion that was war came a lot of stories of rescue and survival, but none can top the recent wild parachute ride of Sgt. John Stevens of Woodstown, N.J., over the tangled North Burma terrain.
Stevens is a crew chief in the Second Troop Carrier Squadron, veteran transport outfit which has seen two and a half years service in all three nations of the CBI Theater. He was heading in a C-46 towards the foothills of The Hump when at 7,000 feet altitude the right engine commenced sputtering. Seconds later the radio operator tore past him, grabbed a parachute and opened half the cargo door.
BAIL OUT
Making his way to the cockpit in order to offer his service to the pilot, Stevens perceived there was nothing that could be done. The pilot was yelling at the top of his lungs, “Bail out! Bail out!” Stevens retraced his steps to the rear of the plane and pulled a parachute from its rack. However, the C-46 was being buffeted about so badly by the terrific up and down drafts that he was unable to remain on his feet.
Stretched full length on the floor of the heaving aircraft, the sergeant attempted wriggling into the chute. This, likewise, proved futile. In utter despair he hooked his arm through one of the loops which emanate from the seat of the chute and pondered vaguely the next step in this grotesque nightmare.
He hadn’t long to wait. One instant he was recumbent along the floor, and then, falling figure in space. It took a while to realize the only possible means of succor was hooked in the crook of his arm. Twisting and turning he groped for the ripcord release, found it, yanked, then miraculously, the chute slowly, slowly unraveled, and the slowness of the unraveling was yet another marvel, for if the big nylon blanket had blossomed forth in one grand jerking operation, as is generally the procedure, the tremendous pressure exerted would have torn Stevens’ arm from its socket.
BLOODY GASH
In his descent he helplessly watched blood stream from a wide gash in his leg. As the ground rushed nearer, Stevens saw in dismay the skyscraper trees, the jungle grass, and the coarse and intertwining vines. But in that wonderful bag of luck there was plenty left, for he was finally caught up two feet from the earth. A simple turn and he was safe on the ground.
His leg needed immediate attention. Orientation in Burmese jungles would leave an Eagle Scout cold, but began climbing, stumbling and crawling. He had gone half-way up a knoll, when the babble of a foreign language reached his ears.
HEAD HUNTERS
Upper Burma was and still is the home of several fierce head-hunting tribes, but these people proved friendly, particularly after an ample distribution of American cigarettes had been accomplished. American cigarettes are in fact to these Hills men what the Coca-Cola advertisements purport to be with the inhabitants of South America.
After a relaxing smoke, followed by a round table discussion through the medium of sign language, the tribesmen motioned Stevens to follow them. The party soon stumbled upon a small clearing. Here, a lean-to was constructed and while one of the natives remained behind with the stranded crew member, the rest proceeded to their village.
Two days passed in the lean-to before the first group returned with a home-made litter, on which they carried Stevens to a more permanent abode on the outskirts of their jungle hamlet. The Naga hills men fed him their native food: boiled rice, eggs, cracked corn, chicken and large, thin pancakes made of an ersatz flour. It wasn’t the Blue-Plate Special at the Waldorf Astoria, but it kept the sergeant alive.
HUMOROUS SIDE
During Stevens’ 19 days in these simple, rustic surroundings there were many incidents bordering on the humorous side. Upon first arriving, the local witch doctor showed a great desire to practice his wizardry on the sergeant’s injured leg. Stevens had to use all his diplomacy to dissuade the Naga medic and at the same time retain his friendship. Another such instance cropped up when the local chieftain brought a pipe to his bedside. One puff convinced the sergeant that the pipe contained, among other things, a good deal of opium, and he hastily put it aside. The jungles do, nevertheless, have their saloons, and the sergeant quaffed saku or as it is termed by our soldiers, bamboo juice. Saku is a concoction similar to the atomic bomb, both in content and effect.
Though skilled in the jungle, it takes even the Nagas many days to travel in their dense tropical homeland, and despite a runner being dispatched to the nearest Army outpost immediately after Stevens’ first contact with his hill friends, it was almost two weeks later that two members from the ATC Search & Rescue Unit reached him. They were Pfc. Joseph Fruge of Aberlin, La., and Pfc. Marvin C. Roberts of Mobile, Ala. They had parachuted, in the prescribed parachute method, into a clearing in a village about 14 trail miles away. A two day trek brought them to Stevens.
SLOW EVACUATION
The leg was still in poor shape, in fact, gangrene had set in, but the original treatment had tempered the infection. With the coming of these G.I. angels of mercy, skilled in the latest medical developments, new wonders of science were hastily applied.
A short convalescent period and the patient was ready for evacuation – at best a slow and lengthy process. It was decided to build a tiny landing strip in a rice clearing not far off. This field would be large enough for an L-5 to land and take-off.
Exactly 19 days after Stevens’ unexpected appearance in the woods, two L-5’s, piloted by Capt. Jacob F. Craft of Galesburg, Ill., and Lt. Harold L. Haviland of Glendale, Calif., arrived at the small airfield. Stevens was loaded aboard Craft’s plane and flown directly to Upper Assam, where he eventually wound up in the 234th General Hospital.
NAGAS REWARDED
The Naga Hills men, by whose devotion and loyalty the life of another American had been saved, were well rewarded for their efforts. Two hundred pounds of rice were dropped from the air to the villagers and Stevens own squadron contributed another hundred pounds of rice and salt, two staples highly prized by these primitive people.
What happened to his plane is not precisely known and probably never will be. It apparently exploded, and parts of the fuselage and wings were discovered by the same rescue party which came to Stevens.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Walter Bingaman – Everett, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, navigator
Evelyn Cookson – Natick, MA; US Army, WAC, WWII, ETO, 50th Field Hospital
Tsugio Egawa – Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII
Joseph Fisher – Finksburg, MD; US Navy, WWII / USMC, Korea
Joseph Gallo – Corning, NY; US Army, WWII, 64/16th Armored Division, Bronze Star
Richard Halford – Pontiac, MI; US Army, Vietnam, 101st Airborne Division
Helen McBride – Lancaster, PA; US Army WAC, WWII
Ross Perot – Texarkana,TX; US Navy / Presidential Candidate
Nicholas Sacharewicz – Pinsk, POL; Polish 2nd Corps, WWII, ETO, Medal of Valour
Douglas Vahry – Taupo, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 391204, WWII, Flight Photo Intel Officer
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Posted on July 18, 2019, in WWII and tagged 1940's, Airborne, Burma, CBI, History, Military, Military History, Pacific War, veterans, war, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 123 Comments.
Now that’s one heck of a story.
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I was lucky to come across it. Always great to have a happy ending now and then.
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Stevens was very, very lucky!
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Amazing.
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Amazing story – the native second on the right headdress reminds me very much of New Guinea native headdresses.
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I had to recheck that picture myself because I too thought of New Guinea when I saw it!!
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What an outstanding account. It’s almost to unreal to be true. But it does show that you just can’t perfectly predict operations
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To me, the old saying, “It’s better to be lucky than good,” must have been created for this !!!
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I would have thought the opium would have helped with the pain!
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I imagine some used it.
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Fascinating and amazing story gp, great to see the villagers were rewarded for their efforts, a public relations gesture that probably added to the Americans advantage in the long term.
Cheers.
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When they remember to do that, they do do it well I must say. Have a great week, my friend.
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There is a great episode on “Secrets of the Dead” called “The Airmen and the Headhunters” https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/the-airmen-and-the-headhunters-watch-the-full-episode/499/. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out, GP.
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I read the book – outstanding! Watching will be great too, thanks!
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What a dramatic story. Sounds like it should be made into a movie. Imagine the fear of hanging onto a parachute with one arm, and then upon landing find you were surrounded by headhunters. Liked the reciprocal kindness that was paid by both groups in the end.
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Isn’t it great?!! I had to post it!
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Sad Sack enough said
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Reblogged this on depolreablesunite.
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Thanks, Rick!
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thanks for sharing touches
of humanity during that war!
hope there are still headhunters 🙂
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I’m sure the tribes must be there, but once the 20th Century brought them up-to-date I doubt anything remained of the original cultures. Thanks for reading here today!
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What a great story!
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Thanks for the visit!
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What an amazing story. Sometimes, things do work out. I smiled at the ‘bamboo juice.’ I’m wondering if it might have been a local version of palm wine, which is light and non-alcoholic when first tapped from the tree, but which quickly begins to ferment and becomes stronger. I had it in Liberia, and I found that there are versions all around the world, including all of the Pacific theaters like Burma, the Philippines, and so on. Sometimes it’s distilled, but its great virtue for villagers is that it doesn’t have to be; it will get that greater ‘punch’ all on its own.
In fact, old palm wine can get so yeasty it can be used in bread baking!
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You are always teaching me something, Linda! And here is a new example – Thanks!! I’m going to have to look into that.
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Great story. I have, and could spend hours reading stories in “CBI, and the later India-Burma Roundup.”
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They include so many terrific stories, it makes it quite difficult to decide what to post. I try to get one that shows what the men were going through at the time.
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Truly a heart warming story.
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Thank you. I feel these stories help to bring history into a new perspective.
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GP. Just perused your July posts….so impressive as always….love you July 4 tribute! I think of you & “Pacific Paratrooper” from time to time. We have been struggling here. We went from moving into a new townhouse in April, which was an exhausting experience in itself, to wife Geri coming down with diverticulitis mid-May. It’s been a painful struggle for her ever since. She will have surgery in the weeks to come to remove the bad section of the intestine. Best to you always. May you be well. Send us some prayers. Phil
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I appreciate you thinking of us here, despite being so busy and caring for your wife. Please give Geri all my best wishes for her swift recovery!!!
All the very best in your new home!!
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Incredible story of courage, determination, humanity, and luck!
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It’s like that old saying, “It’s better to be lucky than good!” 🙂
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A truly amazing sequence of events
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Isn’t it something? I had to include it here!!
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A whole lifetime’s good luck used up in one episode!! What a lucky, lucky man!! Thanks for sharing this great story.
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Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, eh, John?!
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GP, you always do such a great job in conveying these astounding historical moments. But, this one was one really terrific account. Thanks! ‘O)
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Thanks. I read so many, sometimes it’s difficult to decided which ones to include – this was a no-brainer!
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It was a great read, it really was.
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Thank you very much. I’m glad you like it, ’cause there’s still 2 more parts to it.
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Now that sounds good. Looking forward to reading those. :O)
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Subtle. Ya gotta be subtle, especially with the discrepancies in pay—subtle, but there for the taking …
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Exactly.
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In those days Naga were still very much head hunters (although they denied it). But friendlier to the allies than the Japanese … a good reason to be thankful.
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I believe that! Many of those places in the Pacific and Asia had no idea that there was a 20th Century lurking outside their borders – we made it slam right into them!
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Wonderful story, GP. Thanks!
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My pleasure. Thanks for dropping by!!
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Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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Thank you, John!!
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You are welcome.
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That guy had a lot of luck! Lovely post G.P
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Thank you. Always great to find a happy ending.
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A remarkable story so well described here. M 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. We need a happy ending now and then, eh?!!
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Wowza! What a great story! These are the stories they should be sharing in school history classes, but don’t.
Now you got me thinking about the countries, different cultures, situations, etc., our soldiers have had to “step into”. From other stories I’ve heard they often care about the peoples they meet and even help many they aren’t expected to help. I know my oldest brother has shared about how he, and some of his fellow soldiers, helped children they encountered in Vietnam.
HA! Love the latrine humor!!! 😀
BTW: I sent an e-mail and heard back from Brian’s (LordBeariOfBow) daughter and he is still in the hospital and said to tell all of us HI! 🙂
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Yes, that war made the 20th century slam into the lives of many a country during the war. I’m happy to say our soldiers have many stories of caring for the civilians. Gives a person faith in the human race again.
Next time you email Beari’s daughter, please send my regards. That old coot will be back to give us another story of his own past before we know it!! 🙂
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Yes, for sure!
I e-mailed them back and have not heard anything, but know they are focused on Brian right now.
I sure hope so! He is missed!
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I’m sure. I came down with something that put me on the couch for 2 days and know how I felt. When it’s your father – that hits a whole new level of panic!!
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Yes, for sure.
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What a great story! Thank you for sharing it.
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We have to have a happy ending now and again, eh, James?!! 🙂
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great story, GP.
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Thank you very much!!
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Fascinating, GP. I’m glad they rewarded the tribesmen. I wish the US had a better track record with our local allies (I’m thinking the Hmong in Vietnam and the Kurds in Syria.)
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I’m not speaking for the government, but perhaps they feel that those people were fighting for their own country just as we would do for ours. I really can’t say what the policy is.
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I think the Kurds are. I don’t know enough about the Hmong. I think that some people ally themselves with us hoping it will help them later
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Of course, everyone is usually looking out for themselves one way or another.
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That is confirmed daily by the news. Both sides of the aisle are guilty of that.
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Agreed.
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So true, GP! Politicans give the order. Sometimes i ask myself some questions about. 😉 Michael
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Ever since I was a kid, I wondered why the politicians, if they want war so bad, why don’t they fight it? Then I learned just how cowardly they are.
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😉
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Wow. What a story. Thanks, GP.
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I’m glad you were as impressed as I was. I read the “Airmen and the Headhunters” which is another great book!! I won’t give any spoilers.
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Love the toilet humour!
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Ya gotta love ole Sad Sack!!!
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His luck certainly held out! Of course, it would have been luckier if the plane hadn’t developed problems in the first place, but let’s not be picky . . .
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I agree – but – if it HAD to happen, thank goodness he got out!
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Reblogged this on Dave Loves History.
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Thanks, Dave.
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About his leg – “The leg was still in poor shape, in fact, gangrene had set in, but the original treatment had tempered the infection.” Quaffing saku?
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I think the tribal medicine did some good, eh?
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Great story GP. This is almost like the true story I read a few years ago of survival, encounter with the wild hunters of New Guinea and rescue by paratroopers. The title of the book is Lost in Shangrila by Mitchell Zuckoff. Highly recommended.
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And I’ve been recommending “The Airmen and the Headhunter”, another good one.
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Wow, what an experience. Bet he never wanted to sky dive for the fun of it.
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haha, I doubt very much if he did. I sure know my father didn’t!!
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What a great story. I’m proud of our American and the Hill men.
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They both showed stamina and determination!! Thanks for coming by to read here today, Jacqui!!
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Holy Hannah! What an amazing story, GP. It would make a great Indiana Jones movie. Hugs!
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I read “The Airmen and the Headhunters” about those who crashed in Borneo – the stamina and determination of our men was incredible!!
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Wow! What an amazing survival story!
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And those people on the ‘Survivor’ TV show think they have it rough? What a joke!!
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What a great story. It must have been like stepping through a door to an alternative universe.
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I imagine it would be. My dad mentioned a feeling like that when he entered New Guinea. He said it was a nation time left behind. He was actually sorry for them that the 20th Century was forced on them so hard so quickly.
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My dad had similar feelings about the people there. It was like “what did they do to deserve this?”
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Exactly!!
BTW – did your brother locate the sort of data on your father’s unit in the info I sent?
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Yea, he did. I thought I had mentioned that before. Thank you again for that.
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No problem. I’m just pleased it helped!
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Of course, that’s where my dad contracted Malaria, so his fondness was muted somewhat.
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Malaria has a tendency to ruin the fun, eh?! 🙂
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It would seem so 🙂
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What a great story! I wonder if the witch doctor could’ve helped his leg though?
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Something sure did. I’m glad you liked it!!
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Fascinating story … and rescued by Headhunters! Good thing he had those cigarettes or he might have lost his head.
I liked Sad Sack as well! I had forgotten about that cartoon!
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K ration cigarettes helped in many ways, eh? I have neglected old Sad Sack, my bad!
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Yep! Even if you didn’t smoke. High value barter item! 👍
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INDEED!!
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Wow! True miracles.
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Yes, miracles still happen!!
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Myra Miller said that Soldiers Stories II is scheduled to publish September 1. ‘Bout time!
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I agree. I sent her 2 stories but never heard if she planned on using one or none.
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Amazing story.
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Thank you.
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Great story GP.
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Thanks, Pierre. I appreciate your visit.
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Always a pleasure to read a story of determined survival against the odds. And good to hear that the kindness of those tribesmen was repaid with things valuable to them.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Some were quite helpful, thanks to the ruthlessness of the Japanese troops there. A good example is, “The Airmen and the Headhunters” by Judith M. Heimann
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this is amazing. a combination of grit and luck and universal humanity at its finest.
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Isn’t it a great story?!! I couldn’t pass it up. Thanks for reading it.
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it’s amazing. thanks for sharing it
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Thank you.
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