Based Upon (Unpublished) Letters From Des: The Life of a WWII Marine Corps-Naval Aviator and Test Pilot “North China Surrender.”© 2020, Nancy Canavan Heslop. All Rights Reserved.
“North China Surrender”
© 2020, Nancy Canavan Heslop. All Rights Reserved.
Long before I was born, my parents, Des and Marie Canavan, made a solemn commitment to the Marine Corps when their entire future depended on Des’ success in the new field of aviation.
Four young graduates, friends from the University of Washington: Des Canavan, Greg Boyington, Bob Galer and Jim Mueller signed on as brand new “aviation cadets” in 1935, in the depths of the Great Depression, and found themselves by February of the next year in Class 88-C at NAS Pensacola, Florida. Thinking they would have a better chance at being selected by “going Marine,” in another year’s time they would either be able to fly “anything but the magic carpet” or “washed out.” After earning their “Wings,” both Boyington and Galer were sent on to Basic School at Philadelphia while Des and Mueller studied at Quantico. Des’ gifts for “stunting” landed him in Bombing Squadron One, a precision bombing team led by Medal of Honor recipient, CO Christian “Frank” Schilt. Des appeared in the 1937 Cleveland Air Races midst team members who were destined to be on the who’s who list of WWII Marine Corps aviators.
When the Japanese attacked military installations on the morning of December 7, 1941, both of my parents were on Oahu, Des was just coming on duty as Officer of the Day at Ewa Field when the blitz began. Having lost an infant less than 3 weeks earlier in a tragic choking accident, my mother, Marie, was still at home in her robe. At first she believed Sunday maneuvers were thoughtlessly underway, but soon she and her friends took to the hills. They hid in a sugar cane field, toting a pistol just in case an invasion might follow, returning to her little home with the all clear. Among her friends staying at her home were Eleanor Brown and her infant son “Lance” and a very pregnant Lee Graves whose husband, George, it was soon learned, had been killed instantly in the nearly simultaneous attack on Wake Island. Marine Air Group-21’s (MAG-21) forward echelon of fighters (VMF-211) was lost to casualties or became prisoners of war. Their exact fate was unknown for years. Letters from Des in the month of September 1945, revealed tearful reunions as POWs, friends from their parted youth– thought long dead, reappeared like Lazarus from the grave.
Perpetual nomads, ten years and ten moves after Pearl Harbor, at Cherry Point Des and Marie kept their packing materials in a handy attic on the second floor of our officer’s quarters.
Des had his sea chests there too; two were olive green drab and a third, a brighter green. All were stenciled with his name, rank and the ever-present 05257, his permanent File Number. Sometimes I would open the chests and look inside. One of them contained reams of photographs, unlabeled for the most part, some in folders and some just laying inside, fanned out like a great card hand as if to look at the images all at once before finding the right one.
That was how I found a series of 8 x 10 black and white glossies of the Japanese Surrender on board the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. Only five years old, I wondered why my parents had large photographs of all these men, clearly not Marines. In those days, one could tell a lot about a man by his hat. In one photograph most of the men appeared to wear their Navy hat with insignia. Within that group, there were a handful of Marines. Behind the ceremonial desk stood a large group of Caucasian gentlemen in a variety of fancy braided hats and wrinkled uniforms, looking as polished as could be expected so far from home and any hope of an ironing board. A group of eleven Japanese, some dressed in morning coats and top hats and others in uniform appeared somber but attentive. I didn’t recognize a soul. Why on earth would my parents keep such photos when they weren’t of anyone we knew – friend or family?
The Missouri was crowded from stem to stern and up the turrets, men hanging over railings, leaning inward to see and hear the events of this remarkable day. Online photos show MacArthur giving his speech in front of the representatives of the Allied Powers, but with Nimitz out of frame. Des’ pictures showed the same grouping from a different angle. In his images, Admiral Nimitz was standing at the end of the front row of Allied representatives, right next to General Hsu Yung-chang, the representative from China.
While I was growing up we lived on bases and Des was clearly a Marine Corps and Naval aviator, but he rarely talked about the war.
That was not uncommon. Words of the war were whispered: “China, Pearl Harbor, Wake, Bataan, Corregidor, Midway, Guadalcanal;” to this child they had no precise definition, but they had meaning. Our battle-weary parents wanted to put WWII on a high shelf. There were times when we children knew that certain fathers needed to be left alone. We’d tiptoe past a dining room where someone’s daddy, no longer used to sitting in chairs, squatted while facing a wall. It was years later that I learned that there even was a war with Germany. It sounds ridiculous that such information would be withheld from us children, but while we lived a military life, until I was almost twelve years old, we never discussed the war.
It fell to my Hanover High School history teacher (and part-time football coach) to instruct us about World War II. Day after day it unfolded before my unbelieving eyes that human beings could inflict so much misery upon each other. Film reels told the story of Warsaw and Hitler’s inexplicable notion to exterminate people he had determined were inferior. Others showed the attack upon Pearl Harbor and the great sea and air battles that raged in the Pacific. Bodies of Marines floated face down in their own blood, red rivers on the shores of an ugly beach. I finally started to ask questions.
At home our black and white TV showed an occasional movie about Bataan or the Flying Tigers and my father would mention as an aside that “so-and-so” really did such-and-such. He knew men who flew “Over the Hump,” or an occasional, “I was there,” leaving me wondering what else I didn’t know about my own father…A great deal.
One of those breezily tossed “I was one of the first Marines there:” a Des-moment-in-history – took place on the ten days between September 19-28, 1945, shortly after the peace was signed.
This one I discovered through an interview my father gave that appeared as an article in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine in April 1972. My mother sent me a copy in Ohio. My children were three and six years old and this was the first time I ever heard of this adventure. But I didn’t know until near the end of his life that his letters told the story best.
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Dearest One: August 11, 1945
Great day in the morning! Looks like we’ve come a long way since Dec.7th, doesn’t it honey? What a lot of hell cut loose around here last night. It was premature but at the same time looks like it’s in the bag.
You can see now why it’s been so difficult for me to be an active correspondent. We are right in the middle of this thing and I do mean middle-–just call me Pierre. Things I won’t be able to tell until I get home.
I broke out 130 cases of beer and turned the men and officers loose on it to celebrate the occasion and mommy it was a celebration. It still isn’t over yet but I’ve cut off the supply because we’ve still got a big job to do. I’m going to take my outfit up to see [Frank] Tharin and company. [Wake Island Marines held POWs] Probably take them for a ride. Isn’t it wonderful?…
If you don’t hear from me for several days, in fact weeks, don’t worry or fret. Also I’ll like to discourage you from thinking I’ll be home day after tomorrow, because the marines will have a tremendous job to do out here and actually I expect we’ll spend our normal tour of duty out here anyway. Gee, I’m so excited I don’t know what I’m saying… I love you so much…save a little spot in your heart for me. I needs it.
Love and kisses to baby…Bye now Des.
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Des’ celebration was cut short by a diplomatic snag. The Japanese wanted to keep their Emperor, their Sun God incarnate, for whom hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children willingly died. Back in the states, some politicians wanted unconditional surrender – period. Out on Guam, Des was fit to be tied. He wanted to go pick up his old friends from MAG-21 held prisoners for almost four years. He didn’t give a damn about the Emperor.
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Dearest wife: August 12, 1945
I’m still standing by…. You know the routine… Change of plan every 15 minutes. One thing we can be sure of…something is going to happen, we’ll be in it.
Those bastards back there that think we shouldn’t accept the Japanese offer are in for a rough time if I get a hold of one… do they think a ½ million dead Yanks with a very heavy proportion of marines is a fair trade for one buck-toothed sawed off emperor that we can kick around…? What a bunch of quick thinkers we have back there. Those dirty, stupid, unpatriotic, contemptible bastards. period…
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Des’ Log: August 15, 1945
R5C-1: M Agana to (Kobler) Saipan (Carter) 1.1hr.
R5C-1: M Saipan (Kobler) to (Kagman) Saipan (Carter) .3hr.
R5C-1: M (Kagman) Saipan to Agana (Carter) 1.1hr.
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August 15, 1945, the official word was received that the war was over. Des was with co-pilot Johnny Carter up on Saipan, when the word came through. Like Des, Carter too had been with MAG-21 on December 7, 1941.
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Dearest One: August 16, 1945
We are still standing by, the old suitcase drill you know but my gosh it’s thrilling to think that it’s all over now. What a great day it is for the marine corps. I was up on the next island talking with Johnny Carter when the President gave the official word. He broke out in goose pimples all over, big enough so that you could feel them like sand paper and I stood there with tears rolling down my cheeks feeling like a fool. I guess there were many times when I thought I wouldn’t make it through this war and I have to pinch myself to believe that it’s so. Now to go up and get Herbie, Paul Putnam and all those poor devils. If we are glad, think how they must feel.
…About 9:00 p.m. I was sitting up in my folle thinking back over the war when I heard a terrific commotion outside. The whole camp, that is the enlisted men, came up to get me, took me down to their beer garden, poured about two quick ones thru my clenched teeth, sat me on a box and sang ‟for he’s a jolly good fellow” as I’ve never heard it sung before. So I cried (just small tears) for the second time in one day. Isn’t it awful?…
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Des’ Log: August 19, 1945
R5C-1: M Agana to Iwo Jima (Arnaud) 4.5hr.
R5C-1: M Iwo Jima to Agana (Arnaud) 4.5hr.
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After the nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were detonated, the Japanese finally sued for peace. The terms were determined in Washington, D.C. and conveyed to the Japanese delegation at Manila on August 19th and 20th by MacArthur. On August 19, 1945, Japanese envoys landed two specially marked (white with green crosses) Mitsubishi G4M-1“Betty” bombers on the airfield that the Japanese had constructed at Ie Shima and lost during the battle for Okinawa. The delegation was met by a USAAF C-54 transport that took them to Manila to receive instructions from MacArthur at his headquarters concerning the surrender and the occupation of Japan that was to follow. Photographs were taken at the order of Admiral Nimitz of the combined military and civilian delegation, as onlookers observed the defeated nation’s representatives.
The next day MacArthur watched from the balcony at City Hall in Manila, as the sixteen men representing Imperial Japan arrived to listen to the terms of surrender and occupation. After the meeting on August 20th, the delegation returned to Ie Shima in the C-54 transport, where they transferred to their Bettys for the last leg of their journey. One of the Bettys crashed on the return, apparently having run short of fuel due to imprecise conversion to liters from gallons. Rescued by Japanese fishermen, the delegation returned to Tokyo to make their report and to prepare for the upcoming surrender ceremony orchestrated by MacArthur.
While there was still much to be done; there was also much to be stopped. Airfields that were busy around the clock needed to be re-designated. All the action that had been at Guam, would be moving to Tokyo and the occupation. In short order, Des could sense he was in for a long slow tour after the initial excitement wore off.
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The formal ceremony occurred aboard the USS Missouri on 2 September 1945, at 9:00 a.m. Despite the fact “it had been in all the papers” that the Japanese had surrendered, Peking and most of North China were still in the hands of a million-man Japanese Army. Known as the Kwantung Army, they had occupied China since their initial incursion into Manchuria in 1933, steadily building one of the best trained combat forces in the world and never lost a single battle.
Within 48 hours of having sued for peace, it was decided that the Marine Third Amphibious Corps [IIIAC] that had been training for the invasion of the Tokyo plain could be best employed elsewhere. After looking at the contingency plans and trouble spots, the decision was made– the objective was North China; occupation forces would be necessary to avoid chaos.
In a strange twist of irony that history played, in the weeks since “peace” was declared, the main source of orderly power in China was the Japanese Army. Since the Japanese formally surrendered, the Chinese Communists in the Peiping countryside were chomping at the bit to take on the Nationalist Army in the South, while the Nationalists sought a quick and easy occupation of the North. Each vied for control of the government which neither had under the Japanese Occupation. As power sought to fill a vacuum, the Soviet Union’s planned entry the war only days before its end, created unease by having a physical proximity and a strategic advantage.
Among the Chinese, neither the Nationalist Army nor the Communist guerilla forces ever enjoyed the upper hand against the Japanese. It was strategically wise for both Chinese forces to remain friendly with the occupying American allied force, until evidence of a demonstrated preference for Chungking changed the dynamic. As an added complication, there were highly effective and dangerous Chinese bandits who had considerable local influence in the countryside.
Equipped with an order from the Emperor of Japan to stand down, cease hostilities and prepare to return to Japan, Des’ mission was to fly a military delegation of U.S. Marines, into Shanghai, Tientsin, and Peiping to negotiate the transfer of sovereignty from the Kwantung Army to the U.S. command in preparation to restoring sovereignty to the Chinese. The advance party was under the command of Brig. General William A. Worton, Chief of Staff for the Third Amphibious Corps, IIIAC. Worton, had been a language student in Peiping in the ‘30s and had spent over 12 years in the Orient, most of it in North China. Worton and the Corps G-2, Colonel Charles C. Brown, “were both qualified Chinese language interpreters and translators.”
Commanding General Rockey of IIIAC began planning at Guam for an immediate landing near Taku while the advance party made preparations for the expected 50,000 troops by the end of September. The main cities to be stabilized were Tientsin, Peiping, and Shanghai, already enjoying a light military presence, under Army Commanding General for China, Albert C. Wedemeyer, who had relieved Stillwell the year before, at Chiang Kai-shek’s insistence.
There was considerable uncertainty about the undefeated Japanese response to being ordered to return home. While the Japanese homelands were now defeated and occupied by Allied forces: officially surrendered, signed and sealed; occupied Pacific enclaves were turned over to the Allies one by one. Like Ishmael in Moby Dick “All, save one, were lost”… –China…
It was determined that an initial group of military envoys should effect a surrender as soon as possible in order to repatriate all the allied POWs still being held in Chinese territory in Japanese prison camps. The repatriation of hundreds of POWs came right through Guam.
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My Dearest lover: September 4, 1945
… I believe that censorship is going to be lifted in a day or so and then I’ll be able to tell you all my darling. I’ll go back to the beginning and bring you up to date… you’ll know if your guesses have been right and I’m sure they have been….
Greg Boyington is staying with me now. He’s leaving tomorrow morning for stateside. There is so much to tell you about that I’m afraid a separate letter will have to follow. He’s looking well and will give you a jingle when he gets back there. They gave him a terrible time. Kept him a special prisoner with special treatment. That means you really get the hell beat out of you. Gen. Harris’ son was with him and is also here. They surely gave him a bad time too. One B-24 pilot they kept on his knees for 3 months. Try it for ten minutes sometime. That’s lots worse than mass isn’t it?…
I asked Greg about Herbie Hind but he said he didn’t know him. Paul Putnam, Tharin, Spider Webb and most all of those people are still alive but emaciated. Also Herb Franks. He said the civilians were pretty good to them but the military were terrible…I hope we pour it on them but good…The Bastards…
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The bitterness that Americans had against the Japanese did not easily melt at the end of hostilities. Greg Boyington’s experience taught him that there were both good and bad Japanese, as there were good and bad Americans. He didn’t harbor a grudge against the entire race of people, but he was against an individual who had treated him or others badly.
On September 2, 1945, when the formal surrender ceremony took place on the USS Missouri, while it was MacArthur’s show, Admiral Nimitz, General Field Harris and his repatriated son, William, were there standing on the deck. And a couple of days later, when the formal surrender ceremony took place at Wake Island, the first American out of the landing craft to place his foot on Wake Island was the “Last Man Off Wake,” Walt Bayler, followed by his former C.O., General Lawson H. Sanderson, affectionately called “General Sandy.” The Japanese flag was lowered and the Stars and Stripes were raised.
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My Darlings: Sept. 5, 1945
This is a letter about Greg. I won’t make it too long because he’s going to see you shortly and you can get the gory details from him. He’s been with me a couple of days and we’ve had a wonderful time talking over old times… Well we went on for hours like that and I guess everybody thought we were crazy for sure.
He looks good, quite pale, but his weight is up now. Still he can’t get enough to eat. After having a very nice dinner about seven he was starving at 11. Just a couple of drinks loop him completely. I took him over to the refrigerator and this is what he ate.
1.He had a large can of shad roe… to serve four people. I put it on two pieces of toast and butter and after he had cleaned every last egg up, took the waxed paper and licked all the oil off it just like a cat after cream.
2. By that time I had some steaks fried, four to be exact-I thought I’d have one. When I saw how things were going I threw in another and he ate four steaks and every piece of fat or meat on the bone was cleaned as slick as Tink’s (Des and Marie’s young daughter, Kathleen) tooth.
3. Then he decided he should have some eggs. He handed me four to fry and I thought I’d have one and he the rest. When I got them cooked up and saw the look on his face I just dumped the four on his plate. After two more pieces of toast he picked every last particle of egg out of the frying pan including grease and ate that. Then all around his plate he picked up every little crumb and gulped that down.
4. I forgot to mention that he had 3 chocolate bars between dinner and the little snack at 11.
At first I got a laugh out of it and then it occurred to me how tragic it was that a person could be that hungry and have to stay that way for 20 months.
He’s an entirely different character now. Very sober, reflective and not mad at anybody not even the Japanese that tortured him.
Won’t the people of Seattle have a time playing up Ratz now? They should go crazy over him and he deserves it. He’s the most fantastic bastard that ever lived and I’m convinced he’ll never die now. He’s reserving the Top of the Mark for the party he promised his boys when he got back.
‟Shore Leave” will be strictly for amateurs after he puts that one on!
Love and smooches. Daddy.
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Writing on September 6, 1945, Des clarified what he had been doing since he left Flight Test at NAS Patuxent River, MD in February 1945.
As you know we are based on Guam. I came up from Kwajalein the first of April where I’d been operations officer for a transport group for a month. Then I became C.O. of this squadron [VMR-253] and have been with them ever since. Our usual runs are from the Marianas to Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Philippines, Palau Group (Peleliu) and Ulithi with special trips back to Pearl of which I haven’t been able to make any as yet because something always comes up. Verne McCaul is out in the Philippines (Zamboango), Charlie Fike and Gen. Schilt are down at Peleliu and Dick Mangrum is at Ulithi. In all our flying we had to go around the Japanese bases of which they had more than we, but very few aircraft to try to intercept us. Truk, Yap, Rota, Babethaup and a lot of other places had more Japanese on them than we did right next door so it was always interesting…
We were all set to do a big job of evacuating out of Japan and China but my particular squadron was held back much to all our despair, but we will eventually get in but I’m having a hard time holding my boys down. In as much as marines are captives, they feel that marines should take them out and I can’t blame them. It’s all in the big picture and all that sort of thing, don’t you know. But let it be said that it was one of the greatest disappointments to not be allowed in there when we were all set to go for it.
We had pretty good luck since I’ve had the squadron. I lost two planes due to enemy action at Okinawa and had one operational loss but have never yet lost an officer or man which is remarkable and here’s hoping it lasts. It surely is remarkable how the Japanese attitude has changed. They’re the meekest, mildest, toothiest, kiss-assiest people… ever…I hope we recall all the kicks in the face they’ve given our boys. Greg hasn’t a filling in his head…having been hit so much.
Well darling I’ve got to go to work again…
Love from Daddy Des.
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September 13, 1945, the USS Ozark, carrying 970 repatriated POWs were greeted at Guam by no fewer than sixty buses and ambulances awaiting their return.
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Dearest Mommie: Sept. 15, 1945
What an exciting night I had darling. I had dinner with Frank Tharin, Herb Frueler and Paul Putnam. Frank and Herb were in China and had a very good camp setup. They said they were strictly fugitives from atrocity stories. Had only been slapped a few times. In their camp they were allowed to grow their own gardens and had their own medical facilities with plenty of medical supplies. Remember the shoes Lucille was telling us about getting Herb? Well he never did receive them and of course the mail was terrible. Last mail was a year ago November. Lt. Col. Spicer was here too and we proposed a toast to the newly liberated. Paul got up and made one of the most touching short speeches I’ve ever heard. The thought was that they always knew we were coming for them and that’s the only thing that kept them alive. Then he proposed a toast to us who, he said, had won the war. Talk about hearing the proverbial pin drop-you could hear a fly walking-everyone at the table with eyes on their plate and tears running down their cheeks. This is getting to be one of the most unstable marine corps you have ever seen- but it’s just wonderful to see all those people again. Frank was within six inches of Henry Elrod when he was killed. The Japanese pretended they were dead amongst the pile they had in front of them and when Frank and Hank weren’t looking rose up and shot at Frank, missed him, and hit Hank thru the neck. The island surrendered at 0700 but they were still fighting at 1100 when it happened. There were only four marines and 12 civilians left at this particular point and they had Japanese stacked up like cordwood in front of them. Paul said there were only 26 left out of his squadron and two of those men died in prison camp. John Kinney and McAllister escaped from a prison train moving thru north of Nanking. They had a head in a corner with a curtain around it and a window. The two of them didn’t tell a soul they were going to try it but they jumped from this moving train and escaped. It’s very odd to get them caught up on what’s happened. Things we take for granted are entirely new to them. What thrills them most is clothing and food. They went thru the entire imprisonment with what they had on their backs or when that gave out they wore any kind of rag they could get a hold of. Paul told me that they never thought of Topic A and never had a wet dream the whole time they were up there. I guess food does come first in spite of Gruesome Crewson’s theory to the contrary.
Dick Mangrum’s outfit down at Ulithi is breaking up and returning to the states. I’m going down tomorrow and see what I can chisel out of him. Whiskey, beer, cigars etc. I don’t know whether that means Dick will return or not.
I didn’t see Herbie Hind last night but will try again today. He’s in fine shape the boys say. I’m sure glad…Do you ever hear from Eleanor Brown?
We had a typhoon night before last and it just about broke me up in business. Everything (which isn’t much) I own is wet or blowed away.
Well, darling…let me know what you want to know. Guess I can tell you…
All my love to my precious darlings. Daddy.
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Des was chosen to be the mission pilot who would make the long journey with nothing but the unexpected to expect. To make the transition a bit smoother, as a necessary cost of “doing business,” ostensibly to stabilize the wildly inflated Chinese currency, the cargo bay of the Curtiss R5C Commando was filled with $7 million U.S. cash packed in burlap bales reinforced with chicken coop wire to prevent easy access to wandering fingers. It could have just as easily soothed any number of potential scenarios. Because of the unusual aspect of all that cash, the men on the mission crew were not supposed to be close friends.
Chosen for the mission, Des confessed a sense of poetic justice. As MAG-21’s Officer of the Day on December 7, 1941, his personal satisfaction in seeing the end of hostilities by effecting a mission of peace, was a unique opportunity to close the historic parenthesis.
Giving the Marines this extraordinary duty was in part an homage to all they had lost and sacrificed. The North China Marines were among the first in the war to become Japanese POWs en masse. China duty had always been considered a bit of a plum. Families could live like comparative kings and queens with servants and beautiful quarters, the riches of the Orient at their fingertips. But that was a long time ago.
Des’ letters, beginning in September 1945, told his firsthand account of what was occurring in China before her doors ultimately closed to the West. Years later, as details became known, Des shared additional information about his second trip into China on December 24, 1945, when Marshall was sent as Truman’s personal envoy to try and negotiate with the Chinese.
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My loved ones: Sept. 16, 1945
It’s almost midnight but I think I’d better get this off because it may be the last time for some time. As you know I’m going on an extended trip. Just what it’s all about I don’t know and don’t care to know too much so then I can’t talk about it. Apparently Pierre (namely me) has been chosen to fly a bunch of Generals…into China for further orders in Pekin. I’m leaving Tuesday night for Shanghai and from Shanghai I go to Tientsin. From there on your guess is as good as mine. Frankly I don’t think anybody knows what the facilities up there are as the only thing we have are aerial photographs. I’m the only one that’s worried about it, the passengers just think airplanes fly forever without gas etc. and the last two days I’ve spent chasing info that doesn’t exist. The trip will be exciting I’m sure and I’m awfully glad I’ve been asked for whatever it is…
…Karl Day our camp C.O. is going with me on the trip as my co-pilot. …Dave O’Neill may relieve Karl when he comes back and take the group. That would be fine because I get along superlatively with “Peg.”
Well mommy in a couple of days you’ll be having a birthday… and I won’t be there to help you celebrate-darn it. You’ll know I’ll be thinking of you anyway. Are you and Tink going to have a little cake with candles?
…Goodnight darling. Des.
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Dearest One: Sept. 18, 1945
…I’m about to go crazy getting last minute details for this trip arranged. If everybody would just go away and relax I could handle it just fine but none of [those] giving me all the instructions know what the hell they are talking about. In fact they are not even pilots-just generals and colonels…
You…were secretive about the bird’s measles. I had no idea anything was wrong. I appreciate your attempt to save me worry but I’d rather have known…
We got the dope about the good treatment for Herby Hind [POW] from some of our agents and it was pretty correct too. They didn’t get the beatings that Greg’s [Boyington] outfit did…I never saw Herby but everyone said he looked fine.
Gen [L.H.M.]. Sanderson said for you to stop in at Santa Barbara on your way down to Coronado and stay with his wife.
I’ve been interrupted three times since I tried to start this letter…Everybody is going crazy about this flight and all they’d have to do is forget about it and let me worry for them. I’m taking off at 11 o’clock tonight so you can expect at least a week’s interval in mail from this letter but I’ll be sure and write you just as soon as I can. Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for some time because it’s one of those kinds of deals. I won’t know what I’m up to until I get to Tientsin or Pekin. Your guess is as good as mine.
My gosh I haven’t even started to get my clothes together. This is getting more screwed up by the hour so help me….I’ve got papers a foot high stacked in front of me all for action before I shove off…
I wired you some flowers for your birthday, would you please let me know if you get them…I love you and am thinking of you always even though I haven’t many ways of showing you now…
(a drawing of a smiling legless imp) Tell Kathleen this is her daddy! Des.
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Until Nixon’s first trip to China in the 1970’s my parents had always said that they hoped one day that China would re-open her doors to Americans, but I don’t think they ever really thought it would, and certainly not to the extent that it has economically.
Aside from POW’s in Japanese prison camps inside China, since the Flying Tigers, life in China was a tightrope for the Chinese, let alone extra-nationals within her borders.
The Imperial Japanese Kwantung Army had ruled China with an iron fist. After their “surrender,” the promise of chaos was just around the corner. The Marine Corps surrender team could only hope that “sending in the Marines” would return China to the status quo antebellum.
Throughout the war, both the Communist and Nationalist Chinese had been of great assistance to POWs who escaped from the Japanese camps, like John Kinney- a Wake Island pilot taken prisoner. Adhering to the principle, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” once their Japanese enemy was gone, they could more appropriately fight each other, which they really wanted to do. Our continued presence would forestall their plans and frustrate the inevitable conflict. But that was what diplomacy was.
The hope was that Allies held in prison camps could return to Allied territory once the aircraft was emptied of its burdensome cash. The other serious consideration was to prepare for an Allied Occupation of China despite the fomenting disputes between the Communist and Nationalist Chinese who only had their interests in mind. Meetings were to take place between these factions as they in fact were the most interested parties to a Japanese eviction. Unfortunately, individual Americans had also developed pretty strong opinions as to which faction American support should go.
Most Allies had had enough of war. A time-out sounded pretty good. The defeated German and Japanese armies were ready for plough shares. The question was: were the Chinese? Des landed on Chinese soil, “the first Marine” in liberated China, on Marie’s 30th birthday, September19, 1945.
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Des’ Log: September 18, 1945
R5C-1: 50703 M Agana to Okinawa (Col. Day: CP & Lt. Moore: Nav.)
instru.(7.7hr)
Des’ Log: September 19, 1945
R5C-1: 50703 M Okinawa to Shanghai (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 3.4hr.
Des’ Log: September 22, 1945
R5C-1: 50703 M Shanghai to Tientsin (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 4.2hr.
Des’ Log: September 23, 1945
R5C-1: 50703 M Tientsin to Shanghai (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 3.4hr.
R5C-1: 50703 M Shanghai to Tientsin (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 3.6hr.
Des’ Log: September 25, 1945
R5C-1:50703 M Tientsin to Peiping (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) .9hr.
R5C-1: 50703 M Peiping to Tientsin (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) .8hr.
Des’ Log: September 26, 1945
R5C-1:50703 M Tientsin to Shanghai (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 3.2hr.
R5C-1: 50703 M Shanghai to Okinawa (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 3.0hr.
Des’ Log: September 28, 1945
R5C-1: 50703 M Okinawa to Iwo Jima (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 4.5hr.
R5C-1: 50703 M Iwo to Agana (Col. Day & Lt. Moore) 4.3hr.
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Marie was in Seattle, Washington, getting ready to celebrate her 30th birthday and coincidentally the homecoming of Greg Boyington that was to turn into a national celebration as he was finally about to receive his Congressional Medal of Honor and a series of parades that he was ill-prepared to handle.
Marie greeted Greg when he landed at Boeing Field on September 17th and thousands of people filled Victory Square to celebrate his return. Marie’s photo with Greg appeared on the pages of the Seattle Times and The Seattle Post-Intellegencer as the huge crowd waved flags and signs of “Welcome Home Pappy.” Boyington seemed genuinely surprised by the outpouring of affection. The attention might have been a bit frightening. Marie saved all the papers and mailed them to Des who was in the middle of his own adventure. But the long war was over and the future challenges for Boyington would be the personal war within himself as alcohol and other demons tortured him as cruelly as the Japanese. Boyington’s short visit home was only the beginning of his long personal journey.
While Des spent Marie’s birthday in Shanghai, Marie cut and pasted newspaper stories and photos into her scrapbooks and Tink’s baby book.
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My dearest ones: Sept. 28, 1945
I’m on my way back now en-route between Okinawa and Iwo Jima and I hope to get into Guam tonight. I’ve done so many things, seen such strange sights that it would take a week to tell about them but I shall try…
First I’ll give you the itinerary. I took off at midnight on the 18th and flew direct to Oki getting in just before dawn. We had breakfast with Spike Mallory and Paul Fontana, Ward Dickey and then took off for Shanghai at 0900. We arrived in Shanghai at noon and your Daddy was the first marine to return to China. We stayed in Shanghai until Saturday and then flew up to Tientsin. We stayed in Tientsin three days making a couple of round trips to Shanghai in the meantime and then went up to Peiping for one day and return on the same day. On the 26th returned to Shanghai for good. Went to Okinawa yesterday where I stayed with Leo Smith and…today we expect to make it home.
The trip to Shanghai was rather uneventful except the landing at the Japanese field. The runways were full of bomb craters from our bombings and we had quite a ticklish job getting in. We parked our plane-put a guard on it and went into town in a charcoal burning truck which chugged about five miles an hour. There were thousands of Japanese troops all armed and damn mean looking but all we could do was look and grin and pretend like we knew what we were doing. There were about thirty of us so we went down to the Palau Hotel, kicked the Japanese out of the place amid much hissing and sucking air thru their teeth and settled down for a three day sight seeing tour while the general got his program for Tientsin squared away. We went armed everywhere but it was just a show because we couldn’t do anything if the Japanese got ideas. They actually were afraid of us so we just let them keep being afraid. The people were wild about us. Marines are famous in Shanghai and they hadn’t forgotten about us. The attention was nice to get but at the same time slightly annoying.
They had pretty well stripped the town of most of the valuables including any iron, bronze, steel etc. There was plenty of food around and most people looked fairly healthy. We had good food too but of course they broke out the best the town had to offer. Talk about inflation-one of our dollars is worth 130,000 of theirs. For ten dollars I was a millionaire. I had 10,000 bills in all my pockets. I bought baby a little jacket and paid $800,000 for it. We got a big bang out of all that dough at first but it soon became damned annoying toting it around. In about two days some elements of our fleet started arriving and that spoiled everything. There were more than enough heroes to go around so I was glad when we left.
The trip to Tientsin was real promising. There is no communication of any kind so we had no radio ranges, weather report etc. I hit this little Japanese field right on the nose however and then the fun began. The Japanese met us at the airplane with bowing, scraping, saluting. They are still in full control up there; in fact it’s a good thing until we can get our troops in there because the bandits would raid the towns and loot everything. These Japanese had some V-8 Fords and drove us into town in a caravan of ten cars. Tientsin has a population of about 3,000,000 and somehow the word got passed that we were coming. Again of course we were the first allied troops of any kinds they had seen and I swear at least half the town was out to greet us. It’s a sight none of us will ever forget. People by the thousands lined the streets and just went wild. We wondered what our Japanese drivers thought because I’m sure they were never given such a reception anywhere. Again we kicked the Japanese officers out of the Aster House and stayed there and a funny thing day and night there was a crowd of several thousand people out in front of the hotel and they just stayed there waiting to see us come in and go out. There are perhaps 15,000 white people up there to and they were just as glad to see us. One old English woman ran out on the street, tears streaming down her face and thru her arms around my neck sobbing, ”thank God you are back.” I felt like a fool, their emotion was so real that it was unbelievable that the return of so few of us could mean so much…
The plane crew was invited to a cabaret by some of the white people there (Russian café), which was quite a nice place. As we came up the stairs I heard somebody say “Americanski” and then somebody else picked it up and in 1 minute max. they literally blew the roof off the place. Never in my life have I heard such a noise. The band struck up a Russian version of ‟Dixie,” ‟Stars & Stripes Forever,” “Russian Anthem,” “St. Louis Blues” and ‟America I Love You.” The people literally mobbed us trying to touch our clothes, kiss our hands, etc. My co-pilot looked at me and I at him and we were both weeping ourselves. This all sounds crazy but that’s the way it happened and I don’t ever expect in this lifetime to experience anything like it again. Well they poured vodka thru our clenched teeth until we were silly and fed us until about four o’clock in the morning before they’d allow us to go to bed. I wished so much that you could have been there to tell me what they were saying and to enjoy this wonderful experience with me. Maybe we’ll get China duty one of these days and I can take you around to meet these people. Boy I’d sure put in for it in a minute if I thought it was possible to get. As I said before we stayed there for three days and then went up to Peiping (Peking).
We only stayed there about 8 hrs. I had a chance to visit the Forbidden City where the old emperors used to live, probably one of the most beautiful sights in the world and also the Temple of Heaven where he worshipped once a year the sun god & earth god. For me to try and describe these places would be futile. I’ll have to tell you about them when I get home…I miss you so much, my darlings…I picked up 34 internees Americans and British and returned them to Shanghai where most of their homes were. They hadn’t seen their families in four years and had little or no correspondence with them. Physically they were in pretty good shape but mentally they were completely listless. The Japanese had systematically tortured them mostly by mental methods telling them that their families were dead or they were going to kill them and then of course the old standby beatings, water cure and electric shock treatment. It will take the Japanese a thousand years to live down their disgrace and degradation as a nation…
We are now about an hour out from Guam and the end of our trip. I’ll be glad to get back and rested but the comment from all the crew is the same, we’ll never forget it as long as we live. Gen. Wharton [sic: William A. Worton] whom we took up there with an advanced party is giving the crew a letter of commendation which should help the old record a bit. Also Col. Day has recommended me for the Legion of Merit but I’ll believe that when I see it. That’s higher than the DFC which I didn’t get and I haven’t done anything more this tour than last to earn it. I’ll take it if they give it to me however. That would mean I could retire one rank higher than the rank I would hold at that time…
I picked up quite a bad cold, in fact the whole crew has one. Change in the climate I guess. Guam will bake it out of us in short order I’m sure.
A Russian family gave me a couple of things for you and Kathleen. It would take a collector of such things to know its value, I’m sure I don’t. There are quite a few Jews up there. Refugees from Germany. Some are darned nice.
Well darling we are pretty close in now. I’ll have to go to work and make the let down…I love you so much my lover. God bless both my little birds and keep you well. Daddy Des.
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The advance party left Guam just before midnight on September 18, 1945, and landed at Okinawa around sunrise. The aircraft was refueled while Des had breakfast with old friends from MAG-33, now stationed on Okinawa. Not resting, the advance party left and landed in Shanghai in the early afternoon of Wednesday, September 19, 1945.
Protocol dictated that General Worton and his staff report to the China Theater representative for orders and meet with the Ambassador, Patrick Hurley, for any special insights that might facilitate his mission. “Neither man could give Worton a clear picture of the current situation in North China. They did, however, confirm his freedom of action within the broad bounds of the corps mission. The Marine general fully intended to stretch his permissive authority to arrange for the seizure of ‘areas necessary to facilitate the movement of the troops and supplies in order to support further operations,’ to include the occupation of Peiping.” An Army liaison officer and a State Department advisor joined the advance party for their trip into North China when it left for Tientsin. After spending three nights in Shanghai, Des’ log cited they left on September 22, 1945.
A former adjutant to Hitler, Fritz Wiedemann was living in San Francisco in 1941, and was accused of pro-Nazi intrigue involving Henry Ford. He was then sent to Tientsin, China where he was a central figure in German espionage in China. At the end of the war Fritz Wiedemann was still German Consul in Tientsin. Ever the diplomat and pragmatist, he was afraid of falling into Soviet hands and was anxious to “surrender” to Americans. He arranged for OSS agents to fly into Tientsin to pick him up. According to one of the agents, Grant Barney Fielden, “the rescue” of Wiedemann became something of a coup; the FBI was especially interested in debriefing him. By the first week of October 1945, he arrived back at Hamilton Field in California, looking a little less dapper after his long flight. In the custody of Navy Lieutenant, Guy Martin, reporters asked how he came to be captured and were told, “No interviews!” Wiedemann was on a plane to Washington, D.C. four hours later. Time reporters guessed correctly that Wiedemann would become a star witness, as he turned state’s evidence at Nuremberg, securing immunity for himself in the war crimes trials. Returning to Germany the charges against him were eventually dropped. Des wrote, “We had one of the best stories in our hip pocket. Fritz Wiedemann.”
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My lover: Sept. 30, 1945
I had such a wonderful time reading all my mail when I returned darling…It was just like having you with me for a half hour…Your picture with Greg was wonderful. I could just eat you up-you looked so beautiful. (Front page Post Intelligencer ) Hope you get to spend some time with him later.
…My squadron as a unit still isn’t scheduled to go to China or Japan but this may change at any time. Dugout Doug kept us from moving in when we wanted to. Army show, don’t you know…
You must have given me your cold. I’ve got a dandy. It was pretty cold up in North China and of course I didn’t have my greens with me. Every member of my crew has the same cold. Gee but they were a wonderful crew. Every one of them did an outstanding job. They are my boys so naturally they are good. Ugh!
It’s going to take at least a week to get caught up on my paper work but I’ll enjoy it as I’m tired of flying for a while.
I think I’ll go to bed and try to whip this cold. It’s only two o’clock in the aft. but I’m no good the way I am…
(drawing of a ship on the sea) This is Kathleen’s boat. Ain’t it a beaut? … Daddy.
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During the three days and nights the advance party spent at Tientsin, much was accomplished by General Worton. The Japanese were agreeable and helpful in facilitating the transfer of Japanese barracks, warehouses, school buildings and headquarters to the Chinese Nationalist Officers. Properties held by some members of the German and French community were requisitioned for American use. As a matter of course, properties of enemy nationals were simply taken, while allied residents or governments received leases if their properties were needed. The French Municipal Building was to become IIIAC headquarters while the French Arsenal situated on the road to the airport would be wing headquarters; the 1st Marine Air Wing was to be set up under General Claude E. “Sheriff” Larkin, (former CO of MAG-21 at Ewa Field in 1941). The Italian Consulate was to become 1st Marine Division H.Q.
After settling the logistics in Tientsin, the advance party went ahead to Peiping to similarly confiscate Japanese and German facilities and create leases with friendly owners for the considerable billeting that would be necessary.
While they were there another unexpected event occurred for which Des didn’t realize the significance until many years later. While Des was merely the pilot for the advance party, recommended by General Geiger and Karl Day, as an officer in the advance party he also found himself sitting in on meetings. One night a meeting was arranged for General Worton and “the people opposed to Chaing Kai-shek.” The wartime truce between the Chinese Communists and Nationalists was quickly fraying. The man who arrived that evening was Chou En-lai, Mao’s trusted representative. Des later described the meeting as “lively.” Chou and the Communists did not want the Marines to enter Peiping, saying they would fight to prevent such an occupation. General Worton countered that the Marines were most definitely coming and that they would fight to stay. “The stormy hour-long interview ended inconclusively with Chou vowing that he would get the Marines’ orders changed.”
Des returned to Guam satisfied that they had laid the necessary groundwork for the transition of power. But in a mission like this, there was always the unexpected. He was haunted for the rest of his days by the impromptu turnaround flight from Tientsin to Shanghai that he performed on Sunday, September 23rd. The arrival of the advance party had nearly precipitated the execution of Allied civilians who had been internees or prisoners since early in the war. These captives were in very bad shape; many had been tortured, both mentally and physically.
Japanese captors infuriated with the bombing of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki wanted to take their revenge with a mass execution. One of the British internees told the Marines that they were saved from that fate by a few Japanese officers who bravely stood up to the military mob. Des’ flight to Shanghai, carrying these poor civilians who needed medical care and to be returned to their families, visited him in his sleep for the rest of his life.
About ten days after Des’ aerial landing in China, the Marines made an amphibious landing on the shores of Taku in North China. That one made the papers. Des’ description of people standing in the squares all night long on the off-chance that they might see their liberators continued. The ground troops were welcomed just as the advance party and aviators had been. A Newsweek article dated October 15, 1945, reaffirmed all of Des’ descriptions. The horrible inflation, the difficulty to repatriate many of the Japanese soldiers, the remaining Japanese almost begging to be re-surrendered in ceremonies so that their men shouldn’t find themselves being turned over to the Communist Chinese by the Red Army, our new allies, who were also helping themselves to the industrial installations in Manchuria.
While the great crowds roared all night in the cities and thousands of Chungking flags wafted in the breeze, according to Newsweek, the Marines were the “Kings of Tientsin” for about 72 hours. The Russian nightclubs stayed open till 4:00 a.m., just like Des said, as the vodka was funneled through clenched teeth. $2,000 Chinese dollars was the equivalent of one U.S. Federal Reserve Bank note, and the jostling for power had begun. After that, it was a new ball game.
Back on Guam, Des began to think about coming home, where he was in the “point system” developed to ease men back to the States, and what Marie’s plans were for the winter. Family matters were coming to mind, including the employment situation at Boeing. The Chinese were not oblivious to the desire for peace. The card they had up their sleeve all along was that the problems of China were not American. The war was over and our mission was to repatriate the allies held prisoner and the Japanese to their homeland.
On October 5, 1945, 36 separate unguarded roadblocks were laid between Tientsin and Peiping. A detail of engineers was sent out the next day to remove them and the work detail was fired upon by and estimated 40-50 Chinese troops, later identified as Communists. The Marines suffered their first casualties of post-war China. As the Marine forces accepted the surrender of Japanese Army divisions in formal ceremonies, they also learned more from their former enemies concerning their fear of Communist guerrillas and their effective techniques of harassing troops. The Japanese couldn’t surrender fast enough to the West.
The 6th Marine Division landed at Tsingtao on October 11, 1945, with the mission to relieve the Japanese and their puppet troops from holding the city any longer. A peaceful transition was planned. But by October 13th, General Lemuel C. Shepherd received the unusual offer from the surrounding Communist forces that they would be happy to cooperate “to destroy the remaining Japanese military forces and the rest of the traitor army.” It was suggested that the Marines should not oppose the Communists nor should they be assisting the Nationalist Army.
General Shepherd responded immediately that the mission of the 6th Marines was a peaceful one that didn’t require destroying the Japanese or their puppet army. The Communists were told to stay away from Tsingtao; any disorders would be handled by Shepherd’s battle-tested division. He further stated, “On my own behalf, however, I can say without reservation that it is my determination that the Sixth Marine Division will in no way assist any Chinese group in conflict against another.” The formal surrender ceremony of 10,000 Japanese troops occurred on October 25, 1945. They immediately offered to fight the encircling Chinese communist army. Shepherd accepted the offer and the surrendered Japanese forces “fought several battles out in the perimeter, the outside perimeter of Tsingtao.”
Unfortunately, the situation was a difficult one and did not bode well.
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(Unpublished) Letters From Des: The Life of a WWII Marine Corps-Naval Aviator and Test Pilot “North China Surrender.”© 2020, Nancy Canavan Heslop. All Rights Reserved.
Author:
Nancy Canavan Heslop
950 Merriman Road, Akron, Ohio 44303
330-836-4284 (phone & fax)/nchnest2@gmail.com
