[Buddha-l] China-Birma Railway

[Shiangtai Tuan]

At 10:29 AM 12/14/2010, you wrote:
 >Thoughts of the movie Bridge on the River Kwai, and also of how
 >easy it is to blow up RRs.
 >...
>-----Original Message-----
>[mailto:buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Erik
>Hoogcarspel
>Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 7:51 AM
>
>The generals have nothing to fear as long as the Big Brother
>Panda is protecting them.
>
>http://en.kunming.cn/index/content/2010-12/08/content_2362603.htm

         Things have definitely changed.

         When I was 6 or 8, we were bombarded nearly every day by the 
Japanese air raids.  There were news everyday about a Chinese Youth 
Army (most of the soldiers were college students and graduates, 
volunteered to join the army) fighting southwards (much south of 
Kunming) towards the border and the American soldiers fighting their 
way from the south to meet them.  It was a great news when they 
finally met.  After (and in addition to) fighting the Japanese, they 
had to fight the elements to open a "road" crudely speaking.  That 
opened the way for the Americans to send ammunition and other much 
needed supplies (medical supplies, even canned food) to Kuomintang's 
soldiers who were facing the majority of the Japanese force.  (Before 
then, it was mainly air lift.)  By the way, in the time between Pearl 
Harbor and the surrender of Tojo, the majority of Japanese military 
force was in China.  If they had not gone to Pearl Harbor, they would 
have killed all Chinese.  (Please read Iris Chang's the Rape of 
Nanking.)  The other scenario: if they had not had they army tied 
down in China but all in the Pacific Islands for Pearl Harbor, I 
would dread to think how many more Americans would have died doing 
the "island hopping."


Best Regards, Shiangtai