Evening star., 1945-11-15
Gen. Woinwrisht's Own Story:
(Fortieth Of a Series.)
BY GEN. JONATHAN M.
WAINWRIGHT.

sharply warned us when our gale.
Of laughter died down. But thai
only increased the laughter thai
had greeted his declaration that thu
Emperor had "anicahly" settled ths
war.
The Sian camp commander called
me to his office after breakfast or
that unforgettable morning o1
/ August 10, 1945, and told me that
an American doctor would arrive al
the camp later in the day.
The doctor came on schedule, 9
!, burly major named r. r. Lamar, ac-
companied by Corporal Leith. Both
were Of Airborne troops, an arm ol
our services I had never seen. Whai
Is more, they were connected with
the once of Strategic Services
equally mystifying.
But the important thing Is thai
they were the first free and unop.
pressed Americans had seen since
/ May s, 1912. They were nearly
mobhed. Maj. Lamar quickly alice
US in on the news for which we
hungered; hostilities had been ter.
minated ofiicially at $50 am
August is and at noon he and an
other officer, along with Leith and
another enlisted man, had para
chpted to the airfield at Mukden te
. begin the evacuation of senior pri-
isoners Of war.
Communications Cut.
Getting to Sian had been difficult
because the invading Russians had
cut communications. The radio was
damaged in the parachute landing
so they had not been able to con-
tact 1t. Gen. Wedemeyer's head
quarters in Chungking. Gen. Wede-
meyer-whom last remembered al
. young major-planned to send
planes from Chungking to Mukden
to pick us up, but their departure
was contingent upon the receipt OF
radio word from Lamar.
Lamar stayed with us for "A
hours, trying to get word through to
Chungking by way of Mukden
But we could not raise even Muk-
den, so thoroughly had the Russians
destroyed all communications.
I then suggested that Lamar
make his way back to Mukden pris-
on camp and contact Col. Tiger
league, my Corregidor signal ON
cer who could make any kind Of
radio work. He departed, leaving
Leith with me to serve as an inter-
prefer, for the corporal spoke both
Russian and Chinese perfectly
Lamar left us with the hope of re-
turning to pick us up within two
days.
\ We began the happiest packing
Of our lives, free from all fear and
tension. We were finished in an
hour or two, and then the wait be-
gan. We waited all through August
Al, then the 22d, the 23d and the
morning of the 24th-by which time
we were in a mood to hitch up our
belts and walk to Chungking.
Solitaire Score is Low.
We wandered about the place
restlessly. Invent back to my soli-
taire, finally, and played up to my
S,632d game, at which point-fan-
ciers of that comforting card game
may be interested to know-I had
won Just s.s per cent ef the games
played. -. - =
Eating took up some II the time;
too. The Japs, with sudden turn
toward the solicitous, dumped all
our remaining Red Cross packages
In our laps and with the help of
Sergt. Hubert Carroll and other en-
listed men we began having fine,
weH-cooked meals, the first sum-
cient food we had had since the
outbreak Of the war. We smoked
American cigarettes like chimneys.
At noon on August "a Isheard q
commotion In the village and began
to catch sight Of American jeeps
and trucks with Russian emblems
I told Corpl. Leith to go to the
village for me and find the Russian
commander.
An hour later a Russian lieuten-
ant colonel, accompanied by about
80 officers and men armed with
tommy guns, strode into the prison
inclosure. The Russian commander
was just about the toughest-look-
ing fighting man have ever SEEN
His men were dirty and disheveled,
but most vigorously healthy. Their
weapons looked filthy, but they
soon demonstrated to me that they
were in excellent working condi-
ftion.
E Met Red Commander.
I Along with Lt.-G Gen. A. E. Percival
and Gov. Tjarda van Starkenbourgh
4 went out to meet the Russian COM
I11ander. Through Corpl. Leith ]
introduced myself and the others,
explained Maj. Lamar's difficulties
Ind asked him to help us out.
{ He listened patiently to the whole
story without saying word, then
Through Leith he briskly said:
I'm going to Mukden with my
detachment and these jeeps. If you
can furnish your own transporta-
stion and be ready in three hours
I'll take you with me-"
i That was all.
d turned to 1t. Marui and told
him to round up two buses and a
truck, and that / would pay the
scharges or see that the United
States Government paid them.
"Yes, sir" 1t. Marui said. It was
q strange thing to hear, coming
from the mouth of Jap.
In two hours Marui dug up three
weird and ancient vehicles. We
piled in our luggage and waited,
half fearful that the Russian COM
|7nander would leave without us. But
lin the meantime we had the pleas
sure OF seeing other Russians dis
arm the Jap guards. It was most
Satisfying sight.
When 1t had been completed
went to Marui, now minus his sword.
Il will no longer allow myself or
the other Americans here to be
considered prisoners Of war;" / told
8him. "We viii take no further or
zders from you or your men, and
we viii leave with the Russians"
Asked for Statement.
The methodical Jap nodded his
agreement but asked me to write
sout . statement for the record. This
a - = - a =