CACW’s 1st Anniversary
Chinese and American personnel of the Chinese-American Composite Wing assemble to celebrate its first anniversary. Chinese members of the CACW stand at the right and Americans to the left in this photograph. Maj. Mark T. Seacrest (the tall man in the lighter-colored, khaki uniform, center), awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart, was one of several presented awards that day. Three members of the 4th Bomb Squadron were awarded the Air Medal: Capt. Wilbraham A. Hoffson, Lt. Kenneth A. Elston, and M/Sgt. Peter L. Dodge. Lt. Logan noted on the back of this photo that Hoffson is on Seacrest's left. Notice the banner on the wall at the far left. R. L. Logan Collection, courtesy of Katherine A. Logan.
Because Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault was scheduled to arrive soon, October 3, 1944, marked the beginning of "general policing of the field and especially the enlisted men housing area.” Personnel who had recently arrived at Peishiyi (Baishiyi) following the evacuation of Kweilin (Guilin) by train and motor convoy were "ready to go to work,” Lt. Paul L. Young noted in his monthly historical report. Those who had been living in the muddy tents were ordered to move into the squadron supply room, where Sgt. Norman L. Long set up lights. From Indianapolis, Long’s expertise as a radio mechanic seems to have qualified him for the job.
Persistent rain in the vicinity had turned the base into a sea of mud, so three officers supervised the laying of a wide, raised walkway around the 3rd Bomb Squadron's hostel and tent area. This activity was determined to be more important than the dental inspection that had originally been scheduled by Maj. Lloyd S. Smith, 1st Bomb Group dental surgeon. Maj. Don Hummel, CACW intelligence officer as well as historical officer, wrote this account of the work to improve conditions by personnel of the various squadrons:
The first free afternoon in October all the enlisted men were called out on a rock heaving detail. Truck load after truck load of big and small rocks were brought from the Chinese quarries to the mud bound EM hostel where the clerks formed long lines and chain-ganged rocks from hand to hand to pitch them in the mud for a path through the compound from rooms to mess hall to washroom, in winding sweeps around the tents, and in a long graceful curve to the latrine. Drainage ditches were dug around each puddled tent, and little elementary culverts were built under the rock paths. The rock-brigade labors continued all the next day, but not even a handout of donuts and coffee could quite atone for the sting of being in the drizzle on a rock pile on a free afternoon. Indignant wisecracks flew faster than the rocks, there was much clever talk about our losing face before our coolie allies, and the rueful commentary went around that evidently the "PROV" following the title of the Chinese American Composite Wing must stand for: "Pave roads on vacations.” The air was as full of half-bitter wisecracks as it was of drizzle.
As the base was being prepared for the CACW's anniversary celebration scheduled for Sunday, October 8, headquarters distributed a memo that called for the uniform to be "Class B, cotton sun tan, ties and garrison cap.” (Brig. Gen. Winslow C. Morse, in command of the CACW, further instructed, "FIELD JACKETS AND/OR OVERSHOES WILL NOT BE WORN" and that "All personnel not on emergency duty will attend.") It soon became evident, however, that only about half of the squadron's enlisted men were able to "scrape up a complete clean khaki uniform.” Because most of their belongings had been left behind at Luliang while other khaki components were yet to be returned from the Chinese laundry due to the wet weather, a decision was made to allow the men to wear either khaki or olive drab for the event.
Work stopped at 11:00 and vehicles took the men to their hostels to dress for the festivities. Dinner was served early, and all personnel assembled at the Station Master's Compound at 1400. Persistent rain prompted the celebration to be shifted from the airfield to the recreational hall of Chinese headquarters, which had a small stage. The Chinese had decorated the hall for the occasion. Large flags were placed at the front―Chinese on one side of the stage and American on the other. On the back wall of the stage hung photographs of President Roosevelt and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek on their respective sides. Chinese personnel filled one side of the compound and Americans the other, forming an aisle down the center. Hummel wrote that those in attendance were attired in "anything that could be considered a uniform.” The casual, bare-headed appearance of the Americans stood in sharp contrast to the Chinese, who attended in full uniform.
Posters that adorned the white-washed walls of the room appealed to the wing's binational character: “Friends at Peace,” “Training Together,” “Working Together,” “Fighting Together,” and even “Thinking Together.” Maj. Hummel observed, "No doubt the Chinese poster designers had in desperation hit upon this silent form of mental telepathic communication, for whatever we were doing together, we still were not talking together.” He explained, “Even the ceremonies of our first year of working and fighting and thinking together had still to be carried out bilingually, and were considerably encumbered by the need to have all the proceedings cheated off in Chinese and hackled out in uncomfortable English by a hard worked Chinese interpreter.” Gen. Chennault and Gen. Chow Chi-jou, Director of the Committee on Aeronautical Affairs, Chinese Air Force, were listed as guests of honor on the program printed for the occasion in English and Mandarin.
Maj. Garner G. Collums, Wing adjutant, called the men to attention and read the Order of the Day, signed by Gen. Morse:
1. Today the Chinese American Composite Wing (Prov), as such, is observing its first anniversary. A year is a long period in war time. This past one has presented many difficulties. Pilots have flown over difficult terrain; maintenance personnel have worked long hours; and administrative personnel have had to surmount personnel, intelligence and supply problems peculiar to this theater. Because of different customs and language, the Chinese members have had difficulty understanding the Americans and likewise the American members have had difficulty understanding the Chinese.
2. Regardless of what has been required, each man has done his job, and together we have accomplished more than I believe was expected.
3. As your Commanding General, I wish to take this occasion to say "Happy Birthday" and to thank each officer and enlisted man for the part he has played in building this organization and reflecting credit on this Wing.
4. I wish you to know that I have every confidence in you and that I am sure that you will continue to serve with diligence, courage and honor.
Gen. Chennault and other notables then proceeded to the stage. Gen. Chow congratulated the men on the "splendid cooperation between the Chinese and American personnel.” (T.Sgt. Robert N. Solyn noted on the back of a photograph of him, sent home to his family, "Gen Chow or as we call him General Joe. He is the Chinese High Minister.")
Gen. Chennault read a lengthy letter in honor of the day that began, “Just a year ago, October 8, 1943, a significant event took place. This event was the flight to China of the first units of the Chinese-American Composite Wing and the establishment of its base of operations in the forward area of combat.” He stated that in looking back at the CACW’s achievements, “we find a record of which to be justly proud and an inspiration to officers and men to carry on their excellent work in the future.”
He outlined the CACW's accomplishments through the past year, offering the usual praise to its two national components for working "shoulder to shoulder" and as "brothers-in-arms" and providing statistical evidence of their cooperative operations. "So you have succeeded in large measure, in overcoming apparent insurmountable obstacles which have no parallel in air operations in any other theater of war. The year has recorded a series of successes in which you and the members of your Command, as well as the Chinese people and the USAAF may well take pride.” All the proceedings were, of course, translated for the audience.
Maj. Mark T. Seacrest was called forward, and Brig. Gen. Morse awarded him the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart, followed by presentation of the Air Medal to three members of the 4th squadron. Then Gen. Chennault presented Gen. Morse with the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for meritorious service, numerous missions, and a vast accumulation of air hours and combat flying over rough and poorly-mapped terrain. Capt. Thomas S. Simpson, recently transferred to Group as assistant operations officer to Lt. Col. Austin J. Russell, Group executive officer, was not favorably impressed. “Pretty sorry affair if you ask me—giving away honor awards to a man just because he has rank,” he confided to his diary .
All the officers, both American and Chinese, attended a Chinese banquet and "Gambay party" at the Station Hostel that began at 1630. "As usual it seemed to become a contest between the American and Chinese Officers with the Chinese 'ganging' up on us," wrote Lt. Young. (The irony of his statement was in the fact that he was an American citizen of Chinese ancestry.) Hummel commented that the banquet was "typically crowded with a menu of much variety, unending toasts, much and deep wine drinking which soon obviated the necessity of an interpreter―if we weren't thinking together we could at least do a thorough job of drinking together―the signing of numerous autographs, and the mutual, ceremonial exchange of commemorative scrolls.”
The dinner was followed by an excellent and varied program of entertainment that began at 1900 with Maya Rodowitz, an interpretive dancer from the Polish Embassy at Chungking (Chonqing). Unfortunately, the Americans responded to the invitation by "staying away in droves,” perhaps because many of the enlisted men had spent the afternoon having their own celebratory drinking parties. The largely-Chinese audience, with "a sprinkling of American officers and a handful of GI's" who had remained sober, appreciated not only the dancer's versatile artistry but also her sheer gown, according to Hummel.
Next on the agenda was entertainment by USO Camp Show #99. Made up of four veteran vaudeville performers, it featured Gene Emerald (master of ceremonies and guitarist), Basil Fomeen (accordionist), Joe Tershay (magician), and Jack Cavanaugh (cowboy roping tricks). Although these were not "big name" entertainers, this troupe gave more than 600 performances enjoyed by GIs in Italy, Africa, the Persian Gulf Command, and the CBI. An orchestra from the Children's Conservatory of Music completed the day's celebration. The music was performed by war orphans who played native instruments. "The quality of their playing rounded off a full evening for the appreciative, if thin, audience," wrote the Wing historian.
There is far more to this story. Read it all in The Spray and Pray Squadron: 3rd Bomb Squadron, 1st Bomb Group, Chinese-American Composite Wing in World War II.