Kunming’s only defenses against the aerial attack were a halfdozen batteries of 20mm antiaircraft cannon, which the Japanese could easily fly around, and some.50caliber water-cooled machine guns protecting the air base against strafing attacks. Since it was unnecessary for the Japanese to descend into range of the.50s, the machine uns were seldom fired.
But the Kunming air base itself was far better militarily than anyone expected. There were solid revetments for the planes, and piles of stones and sandbags protected the maintenance buildings against anything but a direct hit. The runways were long and smooth. And because they were made of crushed stone, a bomb striking a runway would knock it out only until the hole could be filled with more crushed stone.
It was literally hand-built. Thousands of people had spent long days, using only the most rudimentary hand tools, to build it.
For the AVG itself, something like a U.S. military base had been established. There was a BOQ (called a hostel), with showers, dayrooms, a bar, and a library. There was a baseball field and tennis courts, a small medical facility, and even a pistol range.
Dolan, Canidy, Bitter, and the others were not the first Arnericans at Kunming. They had been preceded by people from CAMCCI and by more old China hands from Chennault’s staff. three squadrons as the other pilots had, and since all the rooms in Since Canidy and Bitter had not been assigned to one of the the hostel had been reserved for the squadrons, Canidy and Bitter moved in with Dolan and the support personnel, as they had in Ran-goon.
The operation of the airfield was under a Chinese major general, Huang Jen Lin, an enormous man who-Canidy and Bitter were promptly and significantly infortnedwas a devout Christian. General Huang spoke fluent English and seemed quite competent- After meeting Huang, Canidy and Bitter were immediately issued brandnew U.S. Army Air Corps horsehide flight jackets. On the back of these had been hand-painted a sort of signboard. At its top a legend in Chinese announced that the wearer was an American who had come to China to fight the Japanese, and that it was the duty of every Chinese to give him whatever assistance he required.
The food in the mess was astonishing. Not only was it very rade good, but it was American. The Chinese chef had learned his t as number-one kitchen boy aboard a U.S. Navy gunboat on the Yangtze River patrol. And there was something else in the mess Canidy found delightful: Chinese girls from the American Missionary College. They had been enlisted for service as interpreters. They were quite lovely, adored American food, spoke excellent English, and one of them, a slight, delicate, graceful girl, was receptive to Canidy’s invitation to come to his room and see what they could Pick up on the Hallicrafter’s shortwave radio.
Sensing that Ed Bitter really disapproved of what he had in Mind, Canidy spent a moment with him before he left with the girl W. E. B. a R I Ir IF “What’s the matter with you now?”
“Nothing.”
“Because they’re Chinese? Amazing thing about Chinese girls, Canidy said, “they get better-looking by the minute.”
“You don’t think you’re taking advantage of her?” Bitter asked. “That doesn’t bother you? For Christ’s sake, she’s from a r issio ary school. She doesn’t know what you want from her.” n n “What I’m doing, Eddie,” Canidy said patiently, “is getting laid.” Then, grasping Bitter by the arm, he theatrically proclaimed, “Live today, Edwin, for tomorrow you may wish you were dead! Into the valley of death fly the noble ninety-five.”
Bitter was not amused.
A few minutes later, Canidy had learned that General Huang’s thoroughness in providing for the needs of the Americans went so far as providing interpreters with supplies of foil-wrapped U.S. Navy-issue condoms.
Early in the morning of December 20, Canidy was awakened before dawn by a shy and giggling interpreter who shielded her eyes from the interpreter in his bed and sweetly singsonged that “Meester Crooooookshanks” would be happy if “Meeester Can-Eyedie” would join him immediately at breakfast.
Ham and eggs, pancakes, strawberry preserves, and good black coffee were already on the table when Crookshanks waved him into a chair. There was another pilot wearing an Air Corps green shirt and trousers, with a piece of white parachute silk tied as a foulard around his neck. There were wings, similar to Air Corps wings, with the flaming sun of China where the federal shield usually went. It was the first time Canidy had seen such insignia.