Chapter 7 2. Defeat Savage Mountain - The Voice of God

... The American general's arrogance is high.Although Stilwell did not have the name of commanding the Allied Army, he regarded himself as the commander of the Sino-British Allied Army, dictating his actions and being arrogant... Finally, he and Luo Zhuoying left the army and fled to India alone, causing the Chinese Expeditionary Army to die. fiasco. Stilwell fled to India, and imagined that he could make do with some of his troops to get through the Burma Highway. In July 1942, he drafted a "Counterattack Plan for Burma" as a fig leaf for his incompetent command in Burma and his disastrous defeat... This is also true. It shows that Stilwell only relied on subjective wishes, regardless of the specific conditions of China, the United States and Britain at that time, and wrote a waste of paper after failing. …—Excerpt from the memoir of Du Yuming, "A Brief Introduction of the Chinese Expeditionary Force's Entry into Burma and the Battle Against Japan"

1 The Burmese Allied levee collapsed irrevocably. On the evening of May 2, 1942, the day the Japanese army captured Wanding, a DC-3 transport plane dubbed the "Albatross" by the pilots of the Allied forces landed bumpily in a sugarcane field in central Myanmar. . Two full-looking American pilots jumped out of the plane.They smoked cigars and wore the ranks of colonels on their shoulders. The tall one was named Robert Scott, and the shorter one was named Lieb Haynes.Under the order of the President of the United States, they flew from India to Ruimao, Burma to escort Stilwell out of danger.

But when they were led into a manor used as a temporary headquarters, the two colonels were surprised to find that the general had only a few dozen soldiers under his command, and the general himself was engrossed in writing his diary.The general wears the old battle cap from the last world war, without rank and collar insignia.Only the short gray hair and majestic demeanor make people dare not underestimate the identity of this thin old man.Scott reminded the desperate commander-in-chief in a carefree tone: "Hey, sir, the president sent us to rescue you!" Stilwell raised his head and was stunned for a few seconds.After this period of painstaking efforts, he became haggard, weak, and his eyes were bloodshot.But his eyes were still stern.When he figured out the pilot's mission, he flatly declined the president's attention.

"No, sir, I'll take care of the troubles here myself." He waved to the pilot, then sank back to writing. The pilot froze.They had to interrupt the general's train of thought and explain to him that Japanese tanks had been spotted less than twenty miles from the estate. "As I said, they'll come, it's no big deal," snapped the general.He stood up and issued an eviction order to the two pilots: "You go back immediately and take the documents away. Please tell the president that my work is not done yet. I will go to India and clean up the mess there. At that time I Will write a detailed report to him."

The general's stubbornness made the pilots very embarrassed. They didn't know what was more important than a safe retreat at the moment.For the pilots who took the risk to fly here to carry out the president's orders, the eccentric general in front of them was simply unbelievable. They even wondered if Stilwell was agitated or mentally disturbed. Colonel Scott stammered in a panicked tone: "Forgive me, General, if I have offended you just now, then I ... apologize to you. Please come with us." Stilwell suddenly reprimanded them angrily: "Do you think I will care about your attitude? You fool! I am the commander, and I have my duties and tasks. Don't you see that my Chinese troops Running ahead? The Japanese are going to catch them and kill them. I have to take them to safety. Take them to India, train them, turn them into a first-class army. But now they are afraid of the Japanese, you Do you understand?" The general's mouth trembled slightly due to excitement.

"Permit me to ask, General," put in Colonel Haines, "can you catch up with the Chinese? As far as I know, they are as far as Corin, a hundred miles away." "I will never give up on them until I'm sure I can't catch them," said Stilwell decisively. "Then you intend to go to India?" "I think I was confident before the Japanese broke my legs," replied the general. The pilot had no choice but to withdraw angrily.Although they insisted that Stilwell was doing a foolish thing that was not worth the loss, they admired the general's will and character.

"Cady, rock the plane," Scott said.Shaking the plane is a jargon used by pilots, which is equivalent to a ship's whistle or an army's cannon salute, which means paying tribute and blessing. The albatross takes flight.The plane took away redundant documents and the last hope of people on the ground.The general walked out of the house and watched the big steel bird fly over the roof and the manor, soared in the air for a circle with its wings flapping, and then flew towards the northwest sky in the face of the broken sunset.The motor gradually disappeared, the land returned to silence, and the sky was empty.The tide of darkness gradually seeps from the forest and around the house, slowly squeezing the human heart.Stilwell felt a touch of loneliness and melancholy.Fearing that his sentimentality would affect his confidence and willpower, he took a deep breath of the moist night air and returned to the house to continue writing in his diary.

As night fell, bonfires were lit everywhere in the manor.The officer on duty conveyed the general's order: Prepare to transfer, board the car and set off in the middle of the night.Now there are a total of 40 people left in the team commanded by Stilwell, including 18 American officers, six American soldiers, a Chinese guard squad, a missionary and an American journalist. That night, Stilwell sent an urgent telegram to Chief of Staff Washington Marshall, reporting his whereabouts and location.The telegram mentioned for the first time the idea of ​​establishing a base in India to train the Chinese army and counterattack Burma.This idea was further supplemented and perfected, and it was formally designated as "XY Project" (that is, "Tarzan of the Apes" project) and submitted to the White House.Approved by the President of the United States to be implemented that year.That's why there was a famous scientist's training base in Ramgarh, 100,000 students joined the army and the magnificent Burmese counter-offensive.

This plan was what was later dismissed as "a waste of paper". 2 Wenzo in northern Myanmar. Two days later, Stilwell saw the Chinese commander-in-chief Luo Zhuoying who finally failed to escape because of the interruption of the railway.This disheveled "dirty pig" was furious, ordered his subordinates to get some cars, and advised Stilwell to go to Myitkyina with them and fly back home.Unexpectedly, Stilwell would go to the station to look for him two hours later, but the commander-in-chief had disappeared. On the road from Wenzo to Yingdo, the chaos and rout of the Chinese army can be seen along the way: abandoned cars, weapons, heavy artillery overturned by the roadside, and many damaged tanks and armored vehicles.Groups of desperate wounded soldiers sat on the side of the road and forcibly stopped vehicles, firing at each other.On those straggling trucks, even the hoods of the hoods were covered with Chinese soldiers, like crumbling hornet's nests.All the Chinese stared at the senior American official sitting in the car with panic and hatred.

Stilwell looked away, guilty for that. Although Stilwell and his party chased desperately, they still failed to catch up with Du Yuming and his large army.The radio station could not contact them, but bad news kept coming: Zhafang fell, Bhamo fell; the main force of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army had crossed the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River, and Myitkyina was at stake.There will be no way to go any further.To the north of Myitkyina is an uninhabited swampland. The swamp is sandwiched between the towering savage mountains and the boundless virgin forest. At the north end lies another insurmountable high wall... - "Roof of the World" Himalayas Mountain.

On May 6th, Stilwell rushed to Yingdo, but Du Yuming's brigade had already left for a whole day. Yingdo is a small town on the mountain road in northern Myanmar.It is still three days away from Myitkyina, separated from India's Imphal by two mountains, and there is a horse driver's trail in the middle.Now, there were only two choices before Stilwell and his small team: go north and continue to pursue Du Yuming; or go west, cross the mountains and retreat to India before the rainy season comes and the Japanese seal the border. Going north is a terrible dead end. Once the Japanese seize Myitkyina, the Chinese will not only be unable to return home, but it will be too late to retreat to India at that time. Why couldn't Du Yuming see this danger? Stilwell looked up at the thick rolling clouds in the sky, puzzled. The American general lingered in the small town of Yingdo for forty minutes, and finally decided to give up the futile pursuit of the Chinese.The criticism about the American general leaving the army and fleeing to India alone began here.In fact, this is the wisdom of the Americans. On the same day, the small team was ordered to compensate for the supplies, and then turned to the path going west. Waking up in the morning, Stilwell counted the number of people, and unexpectedly found that many unfamiliar faces had been added to the team: there were British commandos who had lost their armor and armor, there were exhausted Christian hospital nurses, and there were also some crooked refugees and them. family members.Among them was a pregnant woman with a big belly! God!He murmured in his heart: Isn't this a refugee reception team? !As a result of counting the number of people, his team had expanded by two and a half times to a total of 115 people, including the little soldier who was about to be born. Stilwell frowned. The first is that there will be a panic in food.The half-month dry food they had originally prepared was only enough to last five days, and the medicines had already been replenished. More importantly, they had to climb over the mountains before the rainy season came.Once the enemy seals the border, they will be trapped in the virgin forest by flood, hunger and disease. A lieutenant suggested that half of the dry food be given to the civilians and let them flee for their lives.Another British officer insisted that all the Burmese should be allowed to leave, as it was dangerous and harmful to travel with the Burmese. Stilwell gathered the team and stood on a big rock to give a lecture. "Listen, if anyone wants to leave, just take a ration and get out!" The general looked around the crowd angrily, his thick Adam's apple rolling up and down, "If anyone wants to follow the team, just shut up with me! " The ranks were silent, only the angry voice of the American general reprimanding the dejected junior officers. "Do you want to abandon women? And this pregnant woman who is about to become a mother?! Do you want to leave the civilians alone and run away for your own selfishness? Hey, you soldiers are not ashamed! Have you ever thought of Judas? Abandon Are not women and children as shameful as Judas?!" He was ashen-faced, and roared menacingly at the crowd, pumping his fists. "Is there any lieutenant general here? Hands up—probably not. Any old man of sixty? Hands up—probably not. Well, there's only a lieutenant general and an old man here That's what I say, and that's me. I declare that from this day forward, every one of you is a member of this team, military or civilian alike, unless he voluntarily asks to leave. "I tell you, we are one. As long as I, an old man, can walk, you can all walk; I can go to India, and you can all go to India. You have only one right, and that is to keep going. Don't be left behind Don't lie down! Don't gossip, half-hearted, and don't disobey orders! To me, whether you are white or yellow, officer or civilian, you are all the same, you are all my soldiers. If anyone disobeys orders, I will shoot him. "Anyone who doesn't agree can leave right away—well, no one leaves, you all agree. If I hear any bastard dare to whisper behind his back again, I'll throw him out and let him try to spend the night with the beast in the forest The taste of..." After a while, the general's anger gradually calmed down. "Don't blame me for being short-tempered, gentlemen." He shook his head and said with emotion, "Of course there will be difficulties, but we will not give in. We will always find a way when there is not enough food. I have sent a telegram to India, calling They come to the border to pick them up. If someone is sick or left behind, we help him like we help our brothers and sisters. You know, not everyone who falls behind likes to be a burden to someone else. "Soldiers, why don't you cheer up? Have we run out of ways? Your mission is to help everyone overcome death, women, civilians, children, and yourself. In the future, when we all Get out of the woods. There will be some of you who will hate my rudeness today or in the future. Frankly, I am not a nice old man, I have a bad temper, and I am very stubborn, but I can swear that I will be a Good officer, good boss, as long as I don't fall, then I will definitely get you out of this forest. That's what I want to tell you today." The general united the fragmented march with his authority and strength of will.The food was distributed uniformly, the marching sequence was rearranged, and everyone had other duties besides marching.Pastor Merrill stepped out of the line and led the Burmese nurses to sing "Praise the Lord". The solemn and sacred chants echoed along the edge of the dark and damp forest with the slow and heavy steps of the team.From men to women, from soldiers to civilians, everyone's soul was gradually moved by this song, and people automatically joined the priest's chorus. A light flashed across Stilwell's heart suddenly.All his previous impatience and restlessness disappeared, replaced by the vast and peaceful voice of the universe like a pure land.This silent message from heaven moved him and purified his soul. That evening Stilwell sent General Marshall his last telegram before leaving Burma. "My position is at Ban Mao, eighty miles northwest of Indo. I have arms and maps, and only a small amount of food and medicine. I will follow the salt trail to Homalin and from there to Imphal. Please inform the Indian side, Immediately send someone to the east of Imphal, the most important thing is to find relief food and medicine. Trust me to overcome all difficulties... Batteries are dead, this is my last telegram in a short time. Victory awaits us. Steve Wei." After sending the report, the radio operator smashed the radio station, burned the cipher book, and joined the ranks of the guard with a submachine gun on his back. From that day on, this small team composed of six nationalities, five languages ​​and three skin colors lost contact with the outside world and disappeared into the black forest of the Naga Mountains.The one who walks in front of the team is always an old man, wearing an old-fashioned combat cap, carrying a submachine gun and a marching rucksack.His body was thin, and he walked with difficulty, but he was firm, and no difficulty could stop his steps.His rank is three-star lieutenant general in the United States, and his name is Joseph W. Stilwell. 3 Leaning on a wooden stick, Stilwell struggled to move his long legs in the woods.Rotten and wet fallen leaves creaked under his feet, dense branches, vines and weeds blocked his way from time to time, and he had to stop to rest almost every way he walked.The pain in the liver area and gastric ulcer tormented the old man, making his weak body even weaker, and his physical strength was about to be exhausted. They have already walked through this big forest covering the sky and sun for twelve full days. For Stilwell, this was not only a difficult cross-country march, but also a triumphant escape and a failed experience. They were being disgraced from Burma by the Japanese. The marching speed of the team is getting slower and slower, and the number of wounded and sick is increasing day by day.The dry food is almost finished, and people mainly rely on mining plant tubers and hunting animals to satisfy their hunger.Due to the rough and difficult mountain roads and frequent getting lost, the team sometimes can only advance five kilometers a day. Stilwell gasped.He was extremely anxious: if this continues, the hope of driving out of the forest before the rainy season will become increasingly slim. From time to time, there was a messy gunshot in the forest. It was soldiers shooting monkeys in the trees.Hungry men sometimes spend a great deal of ammunition in order to hunt a grouse or a squirrel.Stilwell paused sullenly, determined to warn the military again to save bullets. The ranks of civilians staggered forward.The civilians supported each other, and although they were walking hard, they had no complaints.The stretcher team also came over.All the stretcher soldiers were as tired as if they were drunk, top-heavy and unable to stand steadily.The general stipulated that only seriously wounded and seriously ill patients could take stretchers.The chief of staff, Major General Heth, was suffering from relapsing fever and was unconscious. Stilwell touched his hot hand and sighed softly. Two young nurses tried their best to help the Burmese pregnant woman named Jin Ma Guo move on the mountain road. "Yapro (sir), can I go to India?" said Stilwell, the pregnant woman, looking sad. "Don't worry, we will carry you and the child to India," the general reassured her confidently. The pregnant woman walked away with difficulty, and the general felt even more heavy.He looked up and looked overhead.Although there are many broken spots of sunlight in the sky, there is clearly a strong smell of fishy humidity in the air, and there are faint thunder sounds in the southern sky from time to time. All this indicates that the rainy season is not far away. After a while, the officers who were in charge of guarding and containing the rear guard came over in a mess.They were all empty-handed, whistling, and walking with ease.Behind them, hapless soldiers, shirtless as prisoners, carried marching knapsacks as heavy as hills. Stilwell stood in the way, wheezing out his nostrils like an angry brown bear.When the officers saw the general, they were immediately dumbfounded. "General, general," a British captain stammered, "I mean, we just want to improve the lives of the troops..." "So you're entitled to your share of baggage on them, don't you, Captain?" he said, pointing to the soldier.Those who were oppressed were all of the yellow race, including Burmese soldiers and Chinese soldiers. Some of them carried double loads, and some even carried three marching rucksacks. "Listen, Mr. Officer." The general held back his anger, "In view of your performance, I announce that you have been relieved of your duties as officers from now on. If you still want to stay in this team, you You must carry the stretcher, or I will drive you away." The officers obeyed the order dejectedly.Soldiers were liberated and motivated, so marching speed doubled for the day. While camping, Stilwell fell ill.Assistant Brigadier General Frank Donne and medical officer Major Manny rushed to the patient. "Please take the stretcher tomorrow." The medical officer took the last painkiller tablet for the patient. "Let's see tomorrow. I, an old man, may not be as bad as you think." The general said wearily.His face was sallow, his eyes were sunken, and he looked very old. The medical officer reported that the number of patients was still increasing, and some people were already in danger. "We will get help, we will!" The general put his hands on his abdomen, his voice was firm: "Tell them that they must persevere, and stopping means death." "There is also the pregnant woman. I think she may give birth to her child on the road at any time." The medical officer said worriedly. "It's okay, let her give birth. Don't we still have dozens of strong men?..." The general muttered, and soon fell asleep beside the fire. The thick night is like a huge curtain, lowly covering the big forest in northern Myanmar.Darkness oppresses this group of endangered people in the forest.No one knows their way out and future, not even the fate of tomorrow.But everyone must obey an iron will, that is to go forward until victory or death. At dawn on the thirteenth day, the veil was unveiled amid the crowing of grouse. However, "thirteen" is indeed an unlucky number. It has indicated from the beginning that a series of blows and bad luck will fall on this small group of endangered people on this day. Waking up, Stilwell felt refreshed, but he was surprised to find that his hat was missing, and then he found glasses, a pocket watch and a pipe.At first he thought that someone was messing with him, but when the soldiers found the old-fashioned combat cap on a tree, he suddenly realized that the pranksters were the monkeys who took revenge on humans. Without glasses, walking is naturally inconvenient.But the general was always stubborn and refused to accept help.At noon, the team was blocked by a torrent.The torrent was more than ten feet wide, with foam splashing, and only a dangling rattan rope was hanging in the air. This is the river-crossing tool used by the aborigines in the forest. When crossing the river, it must climb on all fours like a gecko.Fortunately, the rattan rope was still strong, so I went over a few people first, and pulled the people on the other side over with leggings one by one.Coincidentally, when it was Stilwell's turn, the strap broke halfway, and the general fell into the river from a height of three or four meters involuntarily. People were stunned.Women screamed, Brigadier General Frank Donne yelled for help, soldiers jumped into the water, and more people rushed down the river, trying to stop the general who was struggling in the rapids. Fortunately, this thrilling scene did not last long.Before the people arrived, the general stumbled up from the shallows. "...Hey, that's not bad!" The general yelled in embarrassment while sneezing: "Children, let's rest here for a while, maybe it would be more enjoyable to take a bath." The valley was buzzing. The men jumped into the water in their shorts, the British gentlemen seized the opportunity to shave and shave, the Chinese were noisy like children, and the women quietly soaked in the water, bathed and shampooed, and let the clear stream wash away the fatigue and dirt accumulated for many days , the nurse girl sang a hymn praising the Lord... The warm sun shines on this group of people who have gone through hardships, and the beautiful singing makes them temporarily forget their fatigue and sadness.Stilwell sat dripping wet on the stone watching this moving scene, which he thought was the best time he had had in months. "Look how happy they are, General," said Frank Donne. "Why not, Frank?" replied the General, reaching for his pipe only to find his pocket was empty. "I think when they get out of the woods they'll be thankful for everything here." In fact, they should really be grateful to this small river, because the river water brought them luck.A patrolling American plane spotted them in the valley just after noon.When the pilot was convinced that the group below was the long-lost team, he dropped two heavy parachutes against the top of the mountain. It rushed out of sight; the other hung upside down on a tall tree, like a strong mushroom. However, before the ecstatic people ran to them, several dark-skinned natives appeared in the forest.They climbed up the tree as nimbly as monkeys, picked the mushroom in the blink of an eye, and then quickly disappeared into the woods. Luck disappears as quickly as it comes.People are still empty-handed and dejected again.Stilwell declared with great confidence: "Our suffering is coming to an end." The general's eyes shone brightly: "The plane will come again, and the people on the ground will be dispatched to meet us. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow, they will bring food, medicine, and our last Necessary communication tools. Ladies and gentlemen, today's accident is nothing, I mean we are all saved." Sure enough, when it was dark, the first team to respond found them.Not only did they bring tents, food, medicine and a radio to the rickety group of adventurers, but they also brought them encouraging news. It turned out that they were only forty miles away from the Indian border. The thing is often like this: when you are desperate, you are actually standing at the door of success. That night, Jin Maguo gave birth to a baby boy crying loudly in the tent, and the whole camp erupted.The frail mother asked every elder present to bless the baby with broth and rice wine according to the Burmese national custom. "Japro, grant your child a wish, and God will bless you forever." The mother pleaded with Stilwell. The general gazed solemnly at the new life slowly wriggling in the swaddling baby, this son of mankind who was born tenaciously in the midst of suffering, and his heart was filled with great emotion and tenderness.But he is a soldier, and the bounden duty of a soldier is to fight, to end suffering by creating suffering, and to end war with war.Thinking of this, he felt sad. "Let the Reverend Merrill come and bless the child," he said to his mother sincerely. "If I had a wish, I think I would like to see the Reverend be the godfather of this child." 4 On the afternoon of May 20, in the Indian border town of Imphal, Stilwell held a press conference in front of a large group of press officials and reporters.The general made a brief statement at the meeting: Gentlemen: I declare that we have been hit hard.As you can see, we had to pull out of Burma, which was a huge disgrace to the Allies and to me personally.I think we have to find out why we failed and get back together before we can go back to Burma. Mark my words, we must return victorious to Burma. (Quoted from "Stilwell's Mission to China") In May 1942, American Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stilwell celebrated his sixtieth birthday during his defeat in Burma.