With the incident of the American soldiers taking photos, the journey seemed not so sad. Gao Quan led his troops southward along the Burma Highway and arrived in Lashio three days later.
Lashio, an important town on the Burma Highway, was liberated by the Chinese Expeditionary Force in March, and the Burmese people are rebuilding the city. Everywhere you can see the city of Lashio are ruins, dilapidated houses, dilapidated streets, and bullet marks on the walls. Various scenes show the devastation this small town suffered in the war not long ago. Local people pushing handcarts, pulling flatbed trucks, and carrying hoes and shovels are clearing the ruins, hoping to rebuild their homes as soon as possible.
Although this city was liberated by the National Expeditionary Force, there were not many Japanese in the city. When the 500 troops passed through the city, they saw only a small number of National Gendarmerie wearing white helmets maintaining order. The soldiers of the National Expeditionary Force were not stationed in the city.
There is a U.S. military supply camp outside the city. The 500 Army filled up their vehicles here. After taking a short rest, they continued to drive south. They had to reach Mandalay to join the two flying brigades.
On the way, I received a telegram from Cai Feng from Mandalay, saying that there are no cars in Mandalay and there is only an airstrip there. Don¡¯t expect that all the troops of the 500 Army will be able to take cars when they arrive in Mandalay. Although the news is disappointing, it is also normal. Let alone the 500th Army, even a fully-armed force such as the New First Army does not mean that the entire army can be mechanized. Gao Quan would be very satisfied if the Five Hundred Army could achieve the current semi-mechanized march.
After another day of marching, the troops finally arrived in Mandalay. After meeting up with the troops led by Cai Feng and Zhao Ziming on the outskirts of Mandalay, it was time to rush to Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. Gao Quan ordered the troops to rest for a day on the outskirts of Mandalay to refuel and maintain their vehicles, and repair any problems in a timely manner.
On the way to the march of the 500th Army to the capital of Myanmar, Yangon also welcomed a big man, the five-star general Douglas MacArthur, the commander-in-chief of the US Southwest Pacific Theater.
MacArthur came to Rangoon just to see Gao Quan, but he came two days earlier. Speaking of which, the 500 troops went abroad to fight with the US military, which was actually facilitated by General MacArthur. Only this powerful five-star general of the US military is qualified to ask the country's commander-in-chief to request a certain military unit to go abroad to cooperate with the US military in combat.
" Millions of soldiers fought against the ferocious Japanese invaders for eight years in an arduous war of resistance. The great waves washed away the sand, and countless outstanding troops emerged from it. The Seventy-Fourth Army, the Eighteenth Army, the Fifth Army, the New First Army and the New Sixth Army of the Expeditionary Force. Which of these famous troops is not stronger than the 500th Army, and which one is not more famous than the 500th Army? Why did MacArthur abandon these troops and specifically select 500 troops?
That¡¯s because someone once recommended the Five Hundred Army to MacArthur. Otherwise, how could MacArthur, who was busy dealing with the Japanese all day long, know about a little-known army in the country?
The U.S. battlefield is undoubtedly the largest battlefield in Asia, and it is also the battlefield that the U.S. government and military pay most attention to. The National Government of China had millions of regular troops fighting against the Japanese army, and they were never defeated or surrendered. This in itself restrained millions of elite Japanese troops from being able to stay in the country. At the same time, it also allowed the Americans to fight against the Japanese invaders in Southeast Asian countries without having to directly send troops to participate in the big battlefield of China.
Therefore, the U.S. government spares no effort to support the National Government and provides various advanced weapons and equipment. Spending money is better than sacrificing a large number of human lives. The U.S. government has always had a clear understanding of this. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest Pacific Theater, MacArthur did not lead the troops to participate in the domestic war of resistance, but this five-star US military general was always paying attention to the domestic battlefield.
In order to better understand the Chinese government and military, MacArthur had many times chatted with American officers and soldiers who had fought in the country. Among them was White, the pilot of the Doolittle Flying Team in 1942. After White participated in the air raid on Japan, he stayed in China for a long time and knew the Japanese people well.
After White was recruited to his headquarters by MacArthur, he told the general in detail how he flew to the country in the first place, how he landed on the streets of Xiushui County after flying an extremely long distance, and how he was received by the 500 National Army. He also met Gao Quan, the commander of the army, and later helped the 500th Army train a group of pilots and repair two aircraft. Since White had stayed in Xiushui for several months, almost all of his understanding of the Japanese Army came from the 500 Army.
White had high praise for the 500th Army and its commander Gao Quan. When introducing the 500th Army to MacArthur, he described this unit as the most outstanding unit of the Japanese army. White did not participate in any battles of the Five Hundred Army, but this did not affect White's admiration for this unit.
The soldiers who could be sent by Gaoquan to learn flying skills were all elites of the army, and everyone was a battlefield of blood and fire.??A warrior who survived a hundred deaths. Between training sessions, White studied with his students, and the fighters learned English from White. When the two parties talk, it is inevitable to talk about each other's past experiences.
The pilots highly respected their troops and their commander. Through countless exciting and fierce battle stories, White had a very deep impression on the 500th Army and its commander Gao Quan. Every day the students talked about fighting and the all-powerful heroic Commander Gao Quan. It was impossible for White to not be impressed.
White not only introduced the Five Hundred Army to General MacArthur, but also selected some of the battle stories he thought were the most exciting and told them to the general. MacArthur was a soldier and had an unparalleled interest in battles of blood and fire. The battle stories told by White obviously attracted the general more than dry introductions by others.
It turns out that this is how China¡¯s war of resistance was fought! It contains all the courage and wisdom a warrior should have. From that time on, the 500 Army and Gao Quan left an impression on MacArthur's mind.
The U.S. military gradually gained advantages in the Pacific War, and the war became increasingly difficult. When it reached Okinawa, the U.S. military encountered its toughest opponent. The Japanese army of 100,000 troops and 200,000 militiamen defended Okinawa. The U.S. military, consisting of nearly 500,000 navy, land and air force, attacked Okinawa and besieged Okinawa.
The Japanese army defended the island and resisted desperately, while the US military relied on its sea and air superiority to force a landing. Hundreds of U.S. soldiers are killed every day, and every step forward costs a huge price. This battle was so difficult!
Looking at the increasing number of casualties every day, MacArthur, the iron-blooded general, also felt pain and anger. One day, he happened to find the record of the meeting with White when he was looking through the files. Team **! MacArthur's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he saw light in the dark night.