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#China-Burma-India theater
freudianslumber · 1 year
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Tiger Man
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Summary:  The year was 1941, bandmates and secret lovers Scotty Moore and Elvis Presley got caught red handed by Scotty’s fiancée, and this led to the young men being thrusted headlong into the China-Burma-India theater of World War II as members of the first American Volunteer Group (The Flying Tigers). 
Author’s Notes:  This is my second Elvis fan fic, a WW II AU.  Since I was born and raised in China until teenage years, I have a personal connection and fascination with this slice of history.  Notice since the time frame of this story is set in the 1940s, I’ve made adjustments to certain things such as Blue Moon Boys being a hillbilly band and not a rock n’ roll band, and all songs that appeared had to be from before 1941, etc.  Obviously, Elvis fans would also know that some happenings in Humes High mentioned here were really a composite of experiences of Elvis’ actual high school friends such as Red West and George Klein. 
Chapter 1. Caught in the Heat
Pairing: Scotty Moore x Elvis Presley (m/m)
Word count: 3.4k
Warning: 18+, kissing, foreplay, light bondage, fingering
For a moment, Scotty felt he was on top of the world. The view beneath him was mesmerizing: A pair of half-lidded sapphire eyes looking up at him with unspoken desire, cherubic lips parting slightly in an invitation, luscious golden chestnut hair framing that uniquely handsome face.
Elvis Aron Presley, the owner of those ravishing features, gave him a small insecure smile followed by a meek and hesitant whisper: “S-Scotty? Do you still want me tonight?” This snapped the other young man out of his temporary catatonic state, his right hand reached down and gently caressed Elvis’ cheek, causing a hint of a blush there: “Sorry honey, I just had to make sure this was real, that was all. We’ve come a long way, I promise I’ll make you a man tonight.” With such a forthright declaration, Scotty took the initiative, lowered his upper body onto Elvis in a smooth and confident move, and covered the boy’s soft alluring lips with his mouth.
Scotty's mind rolled back to his last year at Humes High. As the popular class president, already skilled guitarist, envied by all the boys and pursued by all the girls, Scotty only noticed awkward freshman Presley at the school talent show for the first time. The desperately shy boy who moved from the small town of Tupelo Mississippi not long ago sang a soppy tune about a dog called “Old Shep”, while accompanying himself with rather laughable amateurish acoustic guitar. But somehow the freshman’s slightly trembling vocal struck a chord with an unsuspecting audience, and surely left an impression on one particular upperclassman. The voice was untrained and unrefined, but exuded a purity and raw emotion which were so rare and entirely captivating. Unsurprisingly the most lauded performance of that night came from Scotty and his well-rehearsed band The Starlite Wranglers, without a doubt the most technically proficient and experienced musical act Humes High had ever spawned. However, the much-celebrated senior found it impossible to erase the kid with the strange name from his mind ever since then.
Scotty’s thoughts were brought back to the present as a more grown-up version of Elvis let out a little whimper, arching back as the burning manhood within Scotty’s underwear rubbed against his own bulge through thin layers of cotton. Scotty growled, attacked the exposed delicate skin on that tempting neck with lips and plenty of teeth. In one swift move, Scotty grabbed both wrists of his younger partner and held them above his head. Met with little resistance, a smirk appeared on Scotty’s face as he casually reached for his tie in the pile of clothes on the nightstand. “Hold still!” Scotty commanded with authority to the squirming and panting mess beneath him. "Sorry, Scotty. S-Sorry, sir…” Elvis stopped squirming, bit his bottom lip nervously and tensed up all over, as if anticipating some type of reprimand. The guitarist’s dexterous fingers tied Elvis’ wrists together with ease and made a secure knot. “Baby are you ready?” Scotty’s icy blue eyes twinkled. Elvis’ cheeks grew even rosier, “yes, ready as I’ll ever be…” With that bashful affirmation, the one in charge made quick work of their briefs, sliding them off and tossing them aside. As he went on to spread open Elvis’ legs, Scotty added with a cocky flick of an eyebrow: “I bet none of them fangirls of yours would guess how you'll lose your virginity, huh?’’
In the years since Elvis had first broken into Scotty's realm of existence singing a mournful song about a dog at Humes talent show, many things changed, but some things did not. Elvis gained a few friends and some supporters at school through his musical talent, but at the same time attracted a number of haters. Some boys at school were clearly resentful of the amount of attention the awkward misfit seemed to be getting. One time they sabotaged his instrument, broke all the strings on Elvis’ beloved guitar which he brought to school every day. The graduating class president stepped in then and mended Elvis’ heart by gifting him with a set of even better guitar strings. Unfortunately, the bullying did not stop there. Elvis continued to be seen as an outsider, being mocked frequently about his clothes which he couldn’t afford to change very often due to poor family background, his acne scars, his self-styled hair, and his singing between classes. The bullies called him names such as “squirrel”, threw rotten tomatoes at him when he was playing on campus, finally culminating in one incident which Scotty walked in on. The group of delinquents cornered Elvis in the bathroom, roughed him up a bit and held him down by force, one of them waved a razor in hand menacingly and talked about teaching “Presley and his precious hair” a lesson and “shave it all off”. This plan was derailed when Scotty and his buddies intervened and scared away the punks. The freshman’s face turned red from shame and embarrassment from having to be rescued, tears sparkled in his eyes as he murmured “I owe you one” to Scotty before running away.
What Scotty did not know was that Elvis had been secretly idolizing him ever since he came to Humes. The popular senior was perfect in every way in the newcomer’s eyes. His effortless charm, good looks, confidence, poise, leadership and musicianship all made him so attractive but completely out of reach. Scotty was even kind to Elvis when many others shunned and derided him in school, which made the whole bathroom debacle feel that much more humiliating to the boy from Tupelo. Even prior to that, he already couldn’t help being self-conscious around Scotty, akin to how inadequate a newly joined boy scout would feel next to a Eagle Scout.
Soon however Elvis found that he didn’t need to worry about how he felt around Scotty anymore. Graduation came around and Scotty disappeared after that for five long years. The rumor around town was that the former class president did not go off to college as others had expected, instead he joined the Naval Academy and then the Navy Air Corps. As a naval aviator he followed his training with military tour of duty in the far east. Elvis’ mind wandered off to the sea and distant shores many a time along with his high-flying hero during the extended intervening years. Meanwhile, his biggest accomplishment was becoming the first member of his family to graduate from high school. Elvis got a job at Crown Electric as a truck driver while trying to audition for various local bands. He never gave up on his dream to make it as a singer despite disparaging words he had received.
Once again it was Scotty to the rescue. The accomplished pilot was back in town after he left active duty from the Navy and formed a hillbilly band right away without missing a beat. As a virtuoso guitar player with local renown Scotty would have been a hot draw on his own, but he was looking for a charismatic front man to complete the last piece of the puzzle. Elvis couldn’t believe it when Scotty picked him out of scores of contenders for the lead singer position. No one had ever given the high school grad so much encouragement and put so much confidence in his ability to carry a band vocally. The high-spirited combo that resulted became known as the Blue Moon Boys and almost an instant sensation on the Memphis music scene. Teenagers all around the region soon got words of the cool new act and began flocking to their gigs to see it for themselves. The Blue Moon Boys’ songs were starting to get radio plays despite the material being mostly covers of Hillbilly artists such as Bob Wills and Roy Acuff.
Although Elvis did not consider himself a good singer and attributed his recent popularity mostly to luck and Scotty, the guitarist knew this couldn’t be farther from the truth. As a more experienced musician and aspiring producer, Scotty saw great natural talent in his younger friend. The ability to take any song and spin it on its head and transform it into something new and unique, was an intangible that could not be taught or trained. The boy’s strength was in interpretation and performance, and despite his shy personality, on stage he was magnetic and exciting. Scotty did not realize how much he was smitten by the new lead singer until he inadvertently acted upset and jealous over Elvis’ flirty closeness with all his female fans. That was when Elvis broke down and confessed that he had been head over heels for Scotty ever since high school days.
“Please, Scotty! I need your loving!” Elvis begged as Scotty’s lubricated finger teased around his rim. He wanted to hold Scotty impossibly tight, but his hands were tied together above his head, so he had to wait for the other to move. Scotty’s left hand moved to pinch the young man’s nipple while he inserted his right index finger carefully and began exploring unknown territory. The gasps and moans that came out of Elvis’ mouth felt like they were tickling Scotty somewhere he couldn’t describe. The knowledge that his parents were out of town and they had the house all to themselves was certainly reassuring to Scotty. Over the preceding years, Elvis had matured into a strikingly attractive young fellow, with a gothic flavor derived from his mother Gladys. His face and figure filled out in all the right places, and gained more definition elsewhere, no doubt chiseled by the Lord himself. No wonder he drove all the girls hog wild, Scotty thought to himself as he marveled at the incredibly long eyelashes and soulful cerulean eyes at close range. He added a second finger down below as he captured the irresistibly delicious looking lips in front of him.
“Winfred Scott Moore!” A high and shrill voice pierced through the sensual and erotic atmosphere all of a sudden. The lovers’ bodies quivered in unison out of panic. Scotty quickly withdrew his fingers and turned his head back while his naked figure continued to cover the one beneath him. Only a few feet from them, a petite but voluptuous young woman with blonde bob was staring daggers at Scotty. “MaryAnn!” Scotty yelled in recognition, grabbing the nearest blanket to hide behind while he separated himself from Elvis. “I KNEW IT!” MaryAnn stomped her high-heels and shrieked, “you said you had rehearsal tonight and no time to see me, and here you are sinnin’ and screwin’ with your singer! Some rehearsal you have!!!” Scotty started to put on his clothes as fast as he could, trying to defuse the situation: “MaryAnn, don’t be mad, it’s not what you think, honey…” This was interrupted with another angry retort: “Don’t Honey me!! Winfred Scott, do you still remember your engagement? I swear I’ll tell your mama and daddy everything if you don’t break up with that slut boy right now!!” The angry blonde started to wipe tears from her eyes as Scotty had seen her do many times before when she wanted things her way.
MaryAnn and Scotty knew each other from a long way back. She was his senior prom date. The couple was unanimously crowned king and queen for that night. MaryAnn had always had her eyes set on marriage, with her ultimate goal in life being the title of Mrs. Moore. On the other hand, Scotty never took their relationship so seriously, thought of it as nothing more than casual school dating. He never felt a close connection or had common interests with the gal. Scotty also thought her personality was a little overbearing and over-dramatic. However, the blonde vixen never gave up and had successfully burrowed a space in Scotty’s life for herself. She visited enough times to get in good graces of Scotty’s parents and even his brothers, convinced everyone in the family that she was the natural choice for a life partner for the guitarist. At some point she was given the house key and MaryAnn started sauntering in and out of the house as if she was already part of the family. MaryAnn’s folks were more well-to-do, which would come in handy to help the struggling Moore family dry-cleaning business if the marriage went ahead according to plan. Scotty did not fight the engagement initially because quasi-arranged marriages like this was kind of common, and he did not find enough reasons to oppose the idea. Not being in love certainly was not a strong argument to bring up since that was never a big part of the consideration in these discussions.
However, this infatuation he was having with Elvis was making Scotty rethink things. What they had together was more than physical attraction. Their personalities complimented each other so well both professionally and romantically. Suddenly, the boring, predictable, but safe path of marrying MaryAnn seemed to be not good enough for Scotty anymore. The Presley boy was so sweet and beautiful, musically gifted and madly in love with him, at the same time he was from a dirt-poor family, lived in government housing projects, and was of the wrong gender to have a real future with him as a legitimate couple. These days Scotty’s brain was regularly filled with wild and foolish thoughts, for instance: If Elvis were a girl I would marry him in an instant; or wonder if Elvis and I could run off together and live happily ever after.
“I’ll leave.” Elvis’ eyes turned a little moist from unshed tears as Scotty untied his wrists. He slipped on his pants and threw on his shirt in quick succession, clenched his teeth in silence as he endured some more insults directed at him from his love rival. “I don’t know what kind of witchcraft you cast over Scotty boy, but it’s time for you to get out of his life altogether…” MaryAnn added triumphantly. This was interrupted by Scotty, who couldn’t believe what he heard: “Wait a minute, hold on right there! What do you mean get out of my life altogether? You ain’t saying you want Elvis out of the Blue Moon Boys, right??”
“Yeah, you heard right! I ain’t gonna tolerate the two of you hanging out under the cover of a band! I’ve had enough! I swear he’s the devil in disguise, and you were under his spell. I want nothin’ less than a clean break!!” The little blonde scowled and screamed unrelentingly, face turning red from all the exertion.
“Is that so?!” Scotty yelled back, jamming a fist into the nightstand, making a loud noise. “Well then, I’ve got news for you! I’m gonna get back into military action soon, this time as a volunteer fighter pilot to combat the Japanese. We will be deployed to the Far East by summer!! Elvis can join me if he wants! You’ve just helped me make the decision. If you think you can tie me down, woman, think again!”
This unexpected announcement shocked everyone else in the room. MaryAnn’s mouth was agape until she finally recovered and countered: “You gotta be mad, Scotty! Half of the world is at war, Eurasia is war-torn right now, and the U.S. is on the verge of entering the war directly against the Axis countries any day! Everyone is trying to get away from the armed forces, and you are volunteering to fight in Asia? Are you trying to get yourself killed??” She looked up at her fiancée incredulously, hoping against odds that he still had some common sense left in him.
Scotty sounded even more emboldened in his reply: “Maybe I am, MaryAnn. Or maybe I just wanna get outta this place and get away from your smothering old self!! If you got your eyes set on destroying my band, then there’s nothing left around this town to keep me attached here! I know how to be a soldier; I’ve done it for years. It’s a helluva simpler than being at your beck and call!!”
“Mama is probably gonna strangle me for saying this, but Scotty, I’ll go wherever you’re going.” The mostly silent young singer suddenly interjected. “You!!” MaryAnn pointed a finger at him and spewed out, “shut up, you white trash, go find someone else to sin with!” She then looked over to her fiancée, squeezed a few lines out threateningly in a last-ditch attempt to salvage her engagement: “Scotty listen, don’t make me play dirty. Forget all this happened and replace the singer, come back to me and I’ll let it slide. If you go off with that slut boy, then neither of you can ever come back to this town with your reputation intact ’cause I swear I'll air your dirty laundry all over the place!”
“No, you won’t! I’m glad you’re showing your true colors now before I fall into your trap! I’ve had enough of your conniving ways, now get out of my house or I’ll throw you out!!” Scotty shouted while taking a few steps forward. The blonde retreated at the sight of that, trembling with rage: “Winfred Scott, just you remember. You’ll regret this and crawl back to me one day. If you survive the war, that is.”
Those were the last words from the crossed young woman before she rushed out the door. The bandmates now looked at each other in a different light, both knowing they were making a huge decision that would completely change their lives.
Scotty started after a brief silence: “Elvis, I appreciate what you said. But you really don’t have to follow me into foreign battle zones during wartime. You’re an only child and your mama needs you at home and away from harm. I totally understand.” The young singer’s expressive eyes exuded concern and affection as he hurried to respond: “If it’s gonna be that dangerous, then I’d rather go with you than staying here and worrying days and nights about you.” He walked over and held Scotty’s hands, sat down on the couch next to his older partner, “Anyway my singing career would be over since MaryAnn will definitely drag our names through the mud and she does not even need to make things up. We’ll lose all our fans and won’t be able to get a gig anywhere. I don’t want to stay here and live the life of scorn and derision. Maybe if we get away and come back in a year or two, we'll get a chance of having a new start.”
Scotty looked into those innocent and hopeful eyes and his heart practically turned into mush. He leaned over and gave the young man a hug, “But honey, you are barely 20, you haven’t even reached the legal drinking age. Your Mama will never let you go!”
“Well, I’ve passed the voting age, so I’m already old enough to make my own decisions.” Elvis’ face turned sadder then, “as for Mama, I guess I’ll just have to confess everything to her and beg for her forgiveness. She loves me, so eventually she’ll look past everything and let me go.” Elvis tried to sound confident, but it did not quite come across as that. “I’ll leave all my savings to her and Daddy, also send them money while abroad. They will be proud of me when I come back from war.” Elvis spoke as if he was trying to convince himself about this idealistic scenario.
“Are you really sure, Elvis? You’ve never even been out of the South before.” Scotty felt like Elvis’ father now. “Yeah, that’s why I need to go out and see the world for myself. And you’ll teach me, right? Scotty?” Some eagerness and excitement started to replace apprehension and uncertainty in the young singer’s tone and demeanor. Scotty cupped the lovely, flushed cheeks in front of him and placed a soothing kiss on that smooth forehead. Pulling Elvis into a warm embrace, Scotty spoke reassuringly: “That’s right darlin’, I’ll show you everything I know and try my darnedest to keep you from harm, it’ll be us against the world from now on…”
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P-40 Warhawks of the Flying Tigers' 3rd Squadron, Hell's Angels, over China, photographed in 1942.
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pukindawgsblog · 4 months
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Boeing B-29 Superfortress - US Army Air Force
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monkeyssalad-blog · 1 month
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B-29 Fu-Kemal-Tu by TK622 Via Flickr: B-29 S/N 42-24720 of the 676th Bomb Squad, 444th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force. Photographed early in its career with just a few mission markers on its nose, likely while still deployed to the China Burma India Theater. The nose only shows two camel markings for crossing the Himalayas, nicknamed the Hump. Later images taken while deployed to Tinian show it with three camel markings. On 30 August 1945 Fu-Kemal-Tu was ditched in the Pacific while returning from a POW supply drop mission. The entire crew survived.
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1945 02 Final assault - Stan Stokes
B-29 Superfortress 42-24625 from 498th BG, 875th Bomb Squadron Nose Art 'Lady Mary Anna'
The largest and most powerful bomber of WW II, the Boeing B-29 Super Fortress, played a major role in bringing about the defeat of Japan. In addition to accelerating Japans surrender following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, thousands of B-29 crews flew tens of thousands of bombing missions against Japan from bases in China, India, and later in the War from recaptured islands in the Pacific. B-29s entered service in 1943 following a lengthy, problem-filled, development process of three years in response to the governments request for a long range strategic bomber. Only Boeing and Douglas (the B-32 Dominator) responded to the governments requests, and the B-32 had even greater development problems than the B-29. Powered by four giant Wright R-3350-23 radial engines generating a total horsepower of 8,924, the Super Fortresses typically carried crews of ten. They were capable of a top speed of 357-MPH, and at slower cruising speeds had a range of more than 3,200 miles. The B-29 was a large aircraft for its time with a wingspan in excess of 140 feet and a length of just under 100 feet. The Super Forts also had pressurized forward and aft hulls, which made the long distance missions a bit more comfortable for the flight crews. B-29s typically carried defensive armament which included ten machine guns and a single tail-mounted canon. Because of the pressurized hull, the guns were operated by remote control. The first operational B-29 wing was the 58th which flew out of the China-Burma-India theater. On March 9, 1945 General Curtis LeMay ordered an unusual low altitude attack on Tokyo by hundreds of B-29s carrying incendiary bombs. Five such low level missions were scheduled over a ten-day period, and the combined destruction of these missions exceeded that of either of the atomic bomb missions. B-29s were also effectively used to mine Japanese ports and shipping lanes. The Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu heavy fighter, which is depicted attacking the B-29 in Stan Stokes painting, entered production in 1941 following a lengthy four year development. About 1,700 of these aircraft, code named Nick by the allies, were produced. The Ki-45 never proved effective as a long range daylight interceptor. It was, however, used effectively in ground attack and night fighter roles. It was one of only a few Japanese aircraft that had some success against the onslaught of B-29s because it was able to attain the high altitudes necessary to intercept the high-flying Super Fortresses.
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vintageviewmaster · 2 years
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Brand: View-Master Packet Title: Florida Booklet Title: View-Master Presents Florida Booklet Subtitle: The Peninsula State Date: 1955
Note: When reading the booklet descriptions, please remember that these booklets are old (most are 65+ years old) and the information and history presented in them as factual may be inaccurate, outdated, and in some cases, offensive.
Booklet Introduction Description: Ponce de Leon really missed a bet. He landed near St. Augustine one April in 1513 in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth, then sailed away! During the 1940-1950 decade, 600,000 people from other states moved to Florida convinced that they had found what Ponce de Leon had overlooked. Their fountain of youth consists of basking in the Florida sun acquiring that native tan, sailing and fishing in the warm waters that lap the nation's longest coastline, and sleeping under subtropical stars in a night cooled by the trade winds.
Florida Facts and Figures When Ponce de Leon landed on the Florida coast it was Easter Sunday which in Spanish is Pascua florida, hence "Florida". The State Flower is the Orange Blossom; the State Bird is the Mocking-bird; the Tree is the Cabbage or Sabal Palm; the Song is "The Swanee River" by Stephen Foster; and the Motto is the same as that found on all U. S. coins, "In God We Trust." Almost twice as many vacationers and winter guests visit the state of Florida as live there. The income from the 5 million tourists, $930 million is the state's largest single source of income. A combination of all year sunshine and plentiful rainfall has resulted in Florida's world leadership in oranges. Over half the nation's and a quarter of the world's supply of oranges are grown in the state. Most of the nation's winter vegetables come from Florida truck gardens, and in south Florida tropical fruits are grown - avocado, mango, guava, papaya, litchi fruit, and coconuts. Hotel-keeping must be the state's leading industry, but it also leads the nation in cigar making, sponge harvesting and phosphate mining. The largest cigar factory in the world is in Jacksonville. Every spring, baseball comes to Florida. Twelve of the sixteen major league teams plus 77 minor league teams hold spring training here.
The State and Its People Florida has an area of 58,560 square miles and is 21st in size among the states. It has the longest coastline, 2,077 miles. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Florida Straits on the south separates it from Cuba; the Gulf of Mexico washes its western shores; and Alabama and Georgia lie north. Only Delaware and Louisiana lie lower than Florida whose average elevation is 100 feet. The highest point in the state is 325 feet at Iron Mountain upon which is built the famous Bok Singing Tower. The southern tip of the state is Everglade country where the land is so low that it appears as small hummocks or patches of grass growing out of swampy water. Everglades National Park is located here. The 1950 population of Florida was 2,711,305, ranking twentieth among the states. It is the fastest growing state east of the Rockies having increased its popular 46.1% from 1940 to 1950. Famous Floridians include: Osceola, the great Seminole Indian war chief who was never defeated but finally tricked into imprisonment; John Gorrie, of Apalachicola, inventor of mechanical refrigeration; Marjorie Kinnar Rawlings, whose Pulitzer prize novel, The Yearling” dealt with the Florida backwoods; and Joseph W. "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, commander of the China-Burma-India Theater of War.
Highlights of History After discovering Florida, Ponce de Leon landed two shiploads of colonists at Charlotte Harbor in 1521, but constant clashes with the Indians resulted in his death and the abandonment of the colony. Tales of fabulous cities of gold (which were not to spring up until the 20th century) lured other Spanish explorers. Hernando de Soto landed in the Tampa area in 1539 to begin a four year march. Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Captain General of the Spanish treasure fleets, came to Florida in 1565 to found St. Augustine and a line of posts from Tampa Bay to Port Royal, South Carolina. After the British captured Havana, Cuba, in 1763, Spain agreed to trade Florida for the Cuban capital. But after the American Revolution, the British were squeezed in by the new United States and Spanish strongholds to the south. They ceded Florida to Spain from whom the United States bought it in 1819 for $5 million. With the creation of the Florida Territory in 1822 came Indian trouble. The Seven-Year Seminole Wars ending in 1842 cost the lives of 1,500 American soldiers but brought eventual peace paving the way for statehood which was granted on March 3, 1845.
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airmanisr · 2 years
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44-44272, B-24J Liberator, Duxford, 23-06-1974
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44-44272, B-24J Liberator, Duxford, 23-06-1974 by Gordon Riley Via Flickr: Delivered to the United States Army Air Force as 44-44272, 1944. Delivered to the Royal Air Force as Liberator B.VI as KH401. BOC: Circa October 1944 SOC: September 26, 1946 Operated by 357 Squadron in clandestine operations in the China-Burma-India theater. Transferred to 232 Squadron for transport duties, April 1945. Delivered to Indian AF as HE771. BOC: 1946. SOC: December 31, 1968. Retired IAF, stored Poona AB, December 31, 1968. Used in the movie “Young Joe, The Forgotten Kennedy", 1977. Yesterdays Air Force, Chino, CA, 1973-1975. Registered as N94459. Delivered to Duxford UK from Poona AB, October 28, 1973. Delivered to USA from Duxford, UK. August 27, 1975. Military Aircraft Restoration Corp, Chino, CA, June 9, 1980-1992. Loaned to USAFM, March AFB, CA, 1984-1985. Loaned to Liberal Air Museum, Liberal, KS, 1987-1988. Flew as 250551/RR/Delectable Doris. Fantasy Of Flight, Polk, FL, from 2001. Displayed as 250551/RR/Joe.
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brookstonalmanac · 5 months
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Events 4.22
1500 – Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral lands in Brazil (discovery of Brazil). 1519 – Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés establishes a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico. 1529 – Treaty of Zaragoza divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal along a line 297.5 leagues (1,250 kilometres (780 mi)) east of the Moluccas. 1809 – The second day of the Battle of Eckmühl: The Austrian army is defeated by the First French Empire army led by Napoleon and driven over the Danube in Regensburg. 1836 – Texas Revolution: A day after the Battle of San Jacinto, forces under Texas General Sam Houston identify Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna among the captives of the battle when some of his fellow soldiers mistakenly give away his identity. 1864 – The U.S. Congress passes the Coinage Act of 1864 that permitted the inscription In God We Trust be placed on all coins minted as United States currency. 1876 – The first National League baseball game is played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia. 1889 – At noon, thousands rush to claim land in the Land Rush of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed with populations of at least 10,000. 1898 – Spanish–American War: President William McKinley calls for 125,000 volunteers to join the National Guard and fight in Cuba, while Congress more than doubles regular Army forces to 65,000. 1906 – The 1906 Intercalated Games open in Athens. 1915 – World War I: The use of poison gas in World War I escalates when chlorine gas is released as a chemical weapon in the Second Battle of Ypres. 1930 – The United Kingdom, Japan and the United States sign the London Naval Treaty regulating submarine warfare and limiting shipbuilding. 1944 – The 1st Air Commando Group using Sikorsky R-4 helicopters stage the first use of helicopters in combat with combat search and rescue operations in the China Burma India Theater. 1944 – World War II: Operation Persecution is initiated: Allied forces land in the Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) area of New Guinea. 1944 – World War II: In Greenland, the Allied Sledge Patrol attack the German Bassgeiger weather station. 1945 – World War II: Prisoners at the Jasenovac concentration camp revolt. Five hundred twenty are killed and around eighty escape. 1945 – World War II: Sachsenhausen concentration camp is liberated by soldiers of the Red Army and Polish First Army. 1948 – Arab–Israeli War: The port city of Haifa is captured by Jewish forces. 1951 – Korean War: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army begin assaulting positions defended by the Royal Australian Regiment and the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry at the Battle of Kapyong. 1954 – Red Scare: Witnesses begin testifying and live television coverage of the Army–McCarthy hearings begins. 1969 – British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston wins the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race and completes the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world. 1969 – The formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) is announced at a mass rally in Calcutta. 1970 – The first Earth Day is celebrated. 1974 – Pan Am Flight 812 crashes on approach to Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, killing all 107 people on board. 1977 – Optical fiber is first used to carry live telephone traffic. 1992 – A series of gas explosions rip through the streets in Guadalajara, Mexico, killing 206. 1993 – Eighteen-year-old Stephen Lawrence is murdered in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Well Hall, Eltham. 2005 – Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologizes for Japan's war record. 2016 – The Paris Agreement is signed, an agreement to help fight global warming. 2020 – Four police officers are killed after being struck by a truck on the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne while speaking to a speeding driver, marking the largest loss of police lives in Victoria Police history.
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missfay49 · 7 months
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My boys, the Flying Tigers
A speech at a dinner in honor of the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force given by Generalissimo and Madame Chiang in Kunming on February 28, 1942, upon their return from India and Burma. The Generalissimo and Colonel Claire L. Chennault, Commanding Officer of the A.V.G., addressed the gathering before Mme. Chiang spoke.
Generalissimo Chiang's address.
Colonel Chennault, officers and men: To be with you American volunteers here today, to observe your excellent spirit and to hear of your achievements fills me with delight and admiration. The American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force has acquired a world-wide reputation for greatest courage.
It is three months since the Japanese, our common enemy, picked their quarrel with Great Britain and the United States. The splendid victories the Volunteer Group has won in the air are a glory that belongs to China and our ally, America, alike.
I have already communicated the news of your repeated successes to your Government and President Roosevelt. The record of what you have done shows that everyone of you have been a match for thirty or more of the enemy. Your friends and relations will undoubtedly have felt boundless pride and elation to hear of your exploits. The blows you have struck at the Japanese have put you in the forefront of the Allied forces fighting the aggressor. You have established a firm foundation for the campaign against his lawlessness which China and American are united to wage. You have written in the history of this world war a remarkable page, the memory of which will live in our minds forever.
As the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces operating in the China theater of war, I am entertaining you today as my comrades-in-arms and on behalf of my four hundred and fifty million fellow countrymen I salute you, confident that you will continue together with all the Allied forces in Burma to display your valor until final victory is won over our common enemy.
Since you are under my command, I wish to impress upon you your identity with all the other men serving in the Chinese armed forces. Your lives are one with their and mine, your good name is one with their and mine. I act toward you as I act toward other members of the Chinese Air Force. I shall extend to those of your comrades who have given their lives the same mark of distinction and the same care for their families and children. For this I hold myself responsible. I trust that you will perform your duties free from any anxiety on this score. Your task is great. When victory is ours I hope to celebrate together with you our successful issue of the war in Tokyo.
Colonel Chennault's response
Members of the A. V. G.: Never before in history do I know of any military unit such as ours having been accorded the honor such as comes to us tonight. No matter how many decorations we may have bestowed on us in the future I am sure we will never receive more honor than we have received tonight. For five years I have followed the Generalissimo to the best of my ability and I know him to be a leader of the highest principles and greatest determination. He is a leader, not only of China, but of the entire Allied effort. It is easy for us Americans to follow such a leader.
In addition to Madame Chiang's work in aviation, she is also the leader of all the women in China. The orphans and widows of China come to her either directly or through the agencies which she has setup and all receive aid. To me, she is the mother of China.
During this time millions of Chinese soldiers have gone to the fronts and have been killed and seriously wounded. Orphans have been left in the ruins of their homes and in the fields. All of these needed aid and they have been given that aid as rapidly as possible. And how there will be thousands more to feed and educate, to receive medical attention.
One problem, of course, is to provide the money for this. It takes money to do all these things, probably less in China than elsewhere
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but even in China money is needed to buy these things. Madame Chiang's generosity is boundless. Her shoulders are always willing to take on additional burdens, but if money is lacking to provide the necessities her work must suffer. I would be unable to recite all that Madame Chiang has accomplished; however, one thing I have not yet mentioned. When the organization of this Group was first discussed in America I was asked for recommendations as to how it would be handled in China. The first thing that I insisted upon was that Madame Chiang should act as our chief staff officer; that Madame Chiang should serve as liaison staff officer between the Generalissimo and the Group. And although she has hundreds of activities that require a great deal of her time she consented to this because of her eagerness for China to have effective military aviation. So, even though you are unconscious of the fact, Madame Chiang has been Honorary Group Commander and Staff Officer of this Group since its organization and I would like to present her tonight as our Honorary Group Commander.
Madame Chiang's speech
Colonel Chennault, members of the A.V.G. and other friends: As your Honorary Commander may I call you my boys? You have flown across the Pacific in China's gravest hour on wings of hope and faith. For this reason not only does the Chinese Air Force but the entire Chinese nation welcome you with outstretched arms. The Generalissimo has already spoken to you of the fine and brave deeds you have done and he has called the A.V.G. the world's bravest air force.
I am very proud tonight that I have had a little share in making it possible for you to fight for China. When I think of the life-and-death struggle which China has passed through these last five years I have before my mind's eye the millions of our people who have been killed or wounded and others who had to flee from Japanese cannon, machine guns and bombers. I also see the rivers of blood which have flowed over our territory, the very lifeblood of China's fairest manhood. I think of the tens of thousands of our women whose honor has been violated by the Japanese and the hundreds of thousands of our little children who have been killed and maimed or else taken to Japan to be trained as traitors to their motherland.
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And now you have come here to vindicate us. We have always been resolved to fight until final victory is ours but we lack the air arm which you are now providing. You have come to fight side by side with us. For this I wish to express our heartfelt thanks.
Colonel Chennault has taken an active part in Chinese resistance during the last five years. You boys know him personally. You know what an admirable commander he is and how very selfless. The only complaint I have against him is that he is never satisfied with his own work. I venture to say, too, that he also thinks that you ought to have more work regardless of how much you already have.
Colonel Chennault has just introduced me as Honorary Commander of the A.V.G. I think I am prouder of this title than any other title I've had because I know that you are not only fighting with your bodies and your skill, you are fighting with your hearts and spirits. Just now Colonel Chennault brought to me two of your very fine comrades who have braved death today in the air. They forgot themselves entirely while fighting the enemy because they knew that although they might have to make the final sacrifice their comrades would carry on the great work which the A.V.G. has set for itself. This Spirit, I feel, is the secret of the A.V.G.'s successes.
I was asked a little while ago by one of my officers, "Madame Chiang, some of the A.V.G. pilots are shooting down so many planes that we won't have room enough on the wings for all the stars which they merit. What shall we do about it?" I told him, "We shall have to provide them with an additional pair of wings." And that is what we will have to do if you all keep up the score.
Although you are here in China I am sure that often your minds and your hearts fly back to your loved ones in America, and for this reason I am glad that American is now realizing that China is not fighting for China alone but for American and for the whole world. You, in giving the best that is in you, are doing it for your own country as well as for China. Time and again your Commanding Officer has dinned into your ears the necessity for discipline. Hateful word, isn't it? Discipline in the air, discipline on the field, and yet without discipline we can accomplish nothing and I, as your Honorary Commanding Officer, am going to din more discipline into you.
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I would go further than Colonel Chennault. I mean discipline of your inner selves. It isn't enough to observe discipline only. We must have inner discipline so that we may have fully-developed characters. However, I am not trying to make you little plaster saints and I am quite human enough to like interesting people, but I do want you boys to remember one thing: the whole of the Chinese nation has taken you to its heart and I want you to conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the great traditions that you have built up. I want you to leave an impression on my people, and true impress of what Americans really are. I trust and I know that you will act worthily wherever you are in China.
Forgive me for speaking to you like that. Perhaps I should be very polite and say, "Boys, you are just grand. You are little angels with or without wings." But you are my boys. I can speak to your freely. I know that you will understand when I say that I hope every one of you, whether in the air or on the ground, will remember that you are China's guests and that everything you do will reflect credit upon the country which I love next to my own, America, where as you know I was educated and which I always look upon as my second home.
Colonel Chennault just now said something which rather embarrassed me. He spoke to you about my needing money to carry on relief work. I know that money is necessary, Colonel, but I don't want to rope you boys in tonight for this purpose. If I had, this dinner would be very hard to digest, so I didn't do that: but I do want to thank you for what you voluntarily contributed to the war orphans during Christmas. Please don't feel that you have to contribute now, that's one thing I beg of you.
Just one final word. War is not only a matter of equipment, artillery, ground troops or air force; it is largely a matter of spirit, or morale. When I came into this room I felt at once how very keyed-up you are. Now that you have been fighting for a few months, you are full of enthusiasm and pep. That is a good thing. But the greater thing is to gather momentum as each day goes by and not let yourself be discouraged no matter what happens, because as you soar into the skies you are writing letters of flame on the horizon certain eternal truths for the world to see: First, the indomitable courage of the Chinese people; second, the indestructible spirit of the Chinese Army; and third, the deathless soul of the Chinese nation. And so, whatever you
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do, wherever you are, remember that such is the China which you have come to assist.
I would like all of you to get up and drink a toast to the two great sister nations facing each other across the Pacific. They now have a bond of friendship and sympathy which serves us well in the crucible of war and which will serve us equally when victory has been won.
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(fourth installment)(sixth installment)
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4thegloryofgodmosthigh · 10 months
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Acts 18:9,10
“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, `Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t quit! For I am with you and no one can harm you….ʼ” ~Acts 18:9, 10 “During World War II my dad was a fighter pilot in the South Pacific. His older brother, my uncle Francis, flew over the Himalayas in the China-Burma-India theater. Both of them flew hundreds of miles over uncharted terrain that…
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freudianslumber · 10 months
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Tiger Man
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Summary: The year was 1941, bandmates and secret lovers Scotty Moore and Elvis Presley got caught red handed by Scotty’s fiancée, and this led to the young men being thrusted headlong into the China-Burma-India theater of World War II as members of the first American Volunteer Group (The Flying Tigers).
Chapter 10. Garden of Roses
Pairing:  Scotty Moore/Elvis Presley (m/m), Ken Ishikawa/Elvis Presley (m/m)
Word Count: 3.6k
Warnings: mentions of past murders, rape, dreams and nightmares, sex and intimacy, physical and sexual assault
“So, why did you save me?  And why would you kill your own kind?”  Elvis finally brought up the perplexing questions in his mind, still blindfolded, but now sitting in the back of a car with Ken Ishikawa sitting next to him and Seto driving. 
“Oh, don’t insult me, El.  I would never consider Lieutenant Miura or his minions to be my kind!”  The Major seemed to take offense to the notion.  “They were too reckless and vulgar, no sense of proper appreciation or awe for a magnificent creature like you, darling.  It’s like when I go hunting and encounter an endangered and beautiful species of deer, the first thing on my mind can’t be to shoot it for meat.”
The tone and wording of the Japanese officer were creepily intimate, setting off alarms in Elvis’ mind.  “What in the world do you want with me then?  I’m of no use to you as a source of intelligence, you know that by now!”  The pilot was keenly aware that his hands were still tied up tightly behind his back, feeling numb and stiff.  His feet remained in shackles as well, reminding him of his prisoner status.  He had a bad feeling about the direction this conversation was taking. 
“I guess that’s a fair question.” Ishikawa sighed, “Can’t you tell I’ve been infatuated with you this whole time??”  With that confession he placed his right hand on the American’s left thigh, causing the latter to jump a little.  Elvis tried but was unable to escape this intrusive advance due to the small confines of the backseats.   “Don’t be so prudish, El.” The officer chuckled, still using the nickname without ever getting consent from the young man.  He squeezed and rubbed the prisoner’s thigh suggestively against his will, delighting in it at the other’s expense.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, Ishikawa went on to reveal more about his thoughts and motivation: “When I saw you for the first time, on the verge of bleeding out when you arrived, I already felt an irrational attraction to you.  I just knew I couldn’t let them amputate your leg; it would be such a shame to leave you permanently crippled.  Later I got to know about your personality during our interactions and the interrogation sessions.  You are stubborn and spunky, almost too much for your own sake.  But you earned my respect for your tenaciousness, and for being loyal to your country.  In the Imperial Army we were taught to look down on captive soldiers because they were seen as dishonorable cowards.  But you impressed me with your mental toughness and stoicism.  Although I was frustrated that you weren’t spilling any useful information we were seeking, I realized I couldn’t let you die when you almost didn’t make it during the last interrogation.  I couldn’t believe how emotionally attached I had become in such a short time.  I halted the interrogations to let you recover and began to scheme of a way to remove you from the torture and pain.  When I received transfer orders for you, I wasn’t filled in regarding if you were being transferred to a prison camp literally or if that was a cover for secret execution.   But given my background and experience, I had a strong inkling it might be the latter.  So Seto and I followed the car, planning to abduct you on the way even if this was just going to be a regular transport to Kandaw prison camp.  Of course, as you know now, we ended up catching them in the act and took out the whole execution squad instead…”
“So you went through all that to make me into your lover doll??” Elvis interrupted the Major, sounding indignant and outraged. He was almost going to use the more jarring term “sex slave” instead, but even just the thought left him chilled to the bone. 
“I wouldn’t put it in that way, El.  I understand you have a lot of misgivings against me, but I have genuine feelings for you.”  Ishikawa objected.   His prisoner replied in an incredulous tone: “That’s just ludicrous!  We are enemies and you are a sadist, end of story!!”
“Calm down, will you?”  Major Ishikawa ripped off Elvis’ blindfold all of a sudden, engaging him in eye contact.  “The truth is, there was another personal reason I was drawn to you initially.  You reminded me of my first love in high school.  His name was Sean.  He was strawberry blond and not as pretty as you, but he had a pair of pure blue eyes as well.  We kissed and made out, that was the extent of what we did.  But eventually he left me after his older brothers found out about us.  They beat me almost to a pulp and told me to go back where I came from.  Soon after that Sean sent me a letter saying our relationship was over because he was pressured by his family to end it.  I knew even if I were a girl, I would never be accepted by his folks simply because I was Japanese, even though my family was much wealthier than his.  That was when I realized I didn’t belong in America, even though up to that point I had spent more years in the U.S. than in Japan.  Another valuable lesson I learned was only the strong survive, if I didn’t want to be hurt anymore, I had to become the aggressor.  A year or two after that I went back to my home country and joined the Imperial Army with support and encouragement from my own family.  One of my uncles had connections with the Cabinet, it followed that the political ambitions of the Ishikawa clan would benefit from a successful military career if I managed to achieve that.  So, I went through hellish training and had to prove myself repeatedly during the war, eventually rose through the ranks to become the Major Ishikawa you are seeing today.”  
“Why did you tell me all this?” The pilot inquired uneasily.  “Because I want you to know where I came from, El.  I used to be softhearted like you, I used to be a romantic, but reality put me back in my place.  Now I know, nothing lasts forever in this world, it’s survival of the fittest.  Power, dominance, and pleasure are what I’m after, and there is nothing wrong with that.”  The Kempei officer concluded emphatically, his right hand creeping up from the bound prisoner’s thigh to the soft skin below his navel underneath his flimsy white shirt, creating a wave of nervous spasms there.
The tense air in the car was disrupted when Seto pulled the vehicle into the driveway of a residence.  As he parked, Elvis looked out the car window at the nice British-style house shrouded in moonlight.   He regretted not paying more attention to how they got there and the layout of the surrounding neighborhood, but he could hardly be blamed given his antagonist’s disturbing invasion of his personal space.  This was a good-sized detached house quite far removed from the next home due to a large fenced-up backyard.  After getting out from the car, the party of three entered the garden directly from a side door, bypassing the main house.  They walked across a lawn and passed between some overgrown rose bushes, coming to a small two-story brick structure in the rear section of the courtyard.  Elvis guessed this little dwelling was probably originally designed for a housekeeper or the occasional guests.  One sinister feature of this otherwise harmless looking guesthouse was that all the windows had been boarded up. 
As the three got in the door, they passed the laundry room which took up the ground floor, climbed the narrow stairs into the second story.  Ishikawa lighted two kerosene lamps, while explaining he and his wife had been staying in the main house which used to belong to a British official before it was abandoned prior to Japanese occupation. 
“Mrs. Ishikawa??” Elvis repeated the title unwittingly, surprised by the existence of such a figure.  “Didn’t think I’d be married?” The Major sounded sarcastic, “Mizuki is her name.  She knows by now I’m more attracted to men.  I entered matrimony just to stave off constant urging by my parents and relatives.  Don’t worry about her, she knows not to disturb us here.  She’s a nice girl and a diligent housewife.  Her family owed us a large sum of money, so they needed this union to keep going.”
Despite the oil lamps, the whole place was dark and damp, feeling like a dungeon.  The floor plan included a small open kitchen area, a dining room, a bathroom and a bedroom with a large bed taking up most of the space. When Elvis’ hands were finally untied, they were so numb and weak he wondered if they were permanently damaged.  He was led to the round table in the tiny dining room and told to sit in a chair.  The host then offered him a glass of water, pointing out that his lips looked chapped from dehydration. When the young man almost dropped the glass as he tried to raise it to his uniquely curvy lips, the Major stood up, took the glass from his hands and tried to feed the water to him.  In the blink of an eye, Elvis leaped out of his seat and head-butted Ishikawa hard in the stomach.  The Japanese officer was caught off guard and stumbled for a moment, but quickly recovered and chased after the daring prisoner.  The pilot made a run for the door after the surprise attack, but he fell across the floor almost right away as his shackled feet couldn’t keep up with his body.   He crawled forward in desperation, but it was all over when Seto almost crushed him with his full weight just before the American could reach the door.    
“Well, that really took the cake for stupidity.  Even for you, El!” Ishikawa loudly reprimanded his non-cooperative subject as the latter was pulled up from the ground by Seto.  The Major sounded a little out of breath, clenching his teeth from lingering pain as he clutched his midsection.   “What did ya expect? You think I’d let ya have your way with me without a fight??”  As usual, the fearlessness in the young man’s voice and demeanor was impressive. 
“I figured you might need taming, but you’ve just made it a lot harder for yourself!” The irate Kempei officer signaled the physical therapist with his eyes.  Subsequently, the latter helped Ishikawa strong-arm Elvis to the bedroom and strapped him to the bed securely.  The sight of the gorgeous prisoner finally tied down to his bed and spread out for him awakened a flood of instincts and desires within the intelligence officer.  He could barely contain his lust as he quickly dismissed Seto so that he could be left alone with the object of his wet dreams.
“Here we are, in our own little world at last!” The excitement in the Major’s voice was palpable.  The blue-eyed airman felt like a mouthwatering piece of dessert he could swallow up whole.  “Just how many allied soldiers have you violated like this, you scumbag?” the incapacitated pilot suddenly questioned while Ishikawa proceeded to cut open his clothes with a pair of scissors.   “Watch your mouth or you’ll regret it in a minute!!”  The Major warned in response to the profanity, then paused for a bit, apparently debating if he should provide an actual answer.  In the end he conceded: “Alright I guess I owe the truth to you.  I had taken two prisoners and held them here in the past.  But it was different because both of them did agree to have sex with me.  Each of them had also divulged military secrets to us during interrogation.  I think they would do anything as long as their lives were spared…”  “So, what did you do to them?” Elvis interrupted the Japanese officer rather loudly, eyes glaring at his face. 
Giving a nonchalant shrug, Ishikawa replied: “So I used them to satisfy my physical needs, and then I disposed of them when I got tired of them.  I buried them under the rose bushes in this backyard.”  “What?!” Elvis yelled, extremities straining against the ropes instinctively.  “You are a psychopath and serial killer if I ever saw one!”  The Kempei officer yelled back without missing a beat: “They deserved it!  Those two betrayed their own country, there should be no mercy for traitors!”  “That does not change the fact you are a cold-blooded rapist and murderer!”  Memphis Flash wouldn’t back down, pointing out the undeniable.
“Looks like you’ve forgotten that you are still in my hands!  What you need is a little help with quieting and calming down!” Before the last word had been spoken, the domineering military man took out a roll of masking tape from a drawer next to the bed.  Disregarding objections from his victim, Ishikawa taped his mouth shut.  As the young man’s face began to turn a little red from hyperventilating and making muffled grunting noises behind the tape, the ruthless army man took out a clearly well-prepared pre-mixed syringe with needle and jabbed Elvis in the arm, injecting unknown medicine into a muscle there. 
The Flying Tiger continued to buck against his restraints despite the futility of it all, but only a few minutes passed by when he began to get drowsy.  The Major was now smiling and saying something, but the words sounded echoey and remote.  Elvis watched helplessly as the Japanese officer stripped him of all his clothes, arranging his limbs and torso in demeaning postures.  He watched with horror as the same vile man unzipped the pants of his Ninja outfit, freeing himself and proceeded to drill into his core with almost no lubrication or preparation.  The pain from the rear was deep and tearing, but dulled by unnatural sedation and an emptiness which was overarching.  He could see his body shiver and rock beneath the fiend who was attacking with savage energy.  A drop of tear fell from corner of his right eye despite attempts to hold it in.  Ambient white noise started to get so loud that it overwhelmed Elvis, his vision became more and more limited.  His eyes rolled up and darkness engulfed him at last. 
Elvis was standing on the bank of the raging Salween River, with wind blowing through his torn and ripped white shirt.  He needed to wash himself clean, that was the only thought on his mind as he stared despairingly at the torrent.  A couple of teeny, little hands grabbed a hold of him and tugged on his clothes.  When the sad-eyed young man looked down, he found two Chinese school boys and Wen Fang standing next to him.  The youngsters pleaded with him not to take the next step, saying he was their hero.  “Uncle Xiao Ai! My sister and I are waiting for you in Kunming.  Don’t leave us, you are my favorite pal!”  The Yang sister added, stretching out her arms in an invitation.  The pilot had no choice but to give in then, so he bent down and lifted the little girl up in his arms.  “Uncle Xiao Ai, will you sing us a song?  We love to hear you sing!”  She implored as she wrapped her arms around the tall American’s neck in a warm embrace.  “Xiao Fang, you know I’ll do anything to make you happy.” Elvis sighed, gathered his thoughts and chose to sing a slow ballad with gentle melancholy:
I saw the harbor lights They only told me we were parting Those same old harbor lights That once brought you to me. I watched the harbor lights How could I help it? Tears were starting. Good-bye to golden nights Beside the silvery seas.
As the serenade came to a close, Elvis realized he was no longer at the riverbank, and the kids had disappeared as well.  Instead, he was back in his own bedroom in Memphis, surrounded with the familiar pink decorations.  The Blue Moon Boys singer was crying in bed, with his head buried in a big Teddy bear.  Mama Gladys came in dressing like an angel ghost again: “Oh baby, don’t give up.  I know how hard it’s been for you, but believe me, help is on the way.”  Her only son raised up his head, looking back at Gladys with large teary eyes: “Satinin, s-sorry to let you down.  But I-I can’t take it no more.  My heart and soul had been shattered and crushed.  Maybe it’s best to end it all.”  “Don’t think that way, baby.” Gladys walked next to the bed, running her hand through that naturally splendid head of hair, massaging the young man’s scalp, “You gotta soldier on, and there’s a solution to everything.  Don’t forget, ending your own life is a sin.” 
“But you told me I’d already sinned for loving a man.  Sinning one last time can’t be that much worse.”  Elvis pointed out the incongruence in the logic, not ready to change his course.  This was immediately met with disproval by his Mama, who slapped him lightly on the back as an admonishment: “Don’t you talk back to Satinin, and never second guess the fairness of God.  He works in mysterious ways.  Trust me baby, I need you to hang on.  There is light at the end of the tunnel…”
The next thing Elvis remembered was fronting the Blue Moon Boys in a dynamite gig in front of an exuberant crowd.  After the conclusion of the show, he and Scotty escaped the wild teenage fans and ran into the backstage dressing room.  They locked the door and kissed each other sloppily.  Scotty’s steely blue eyes lit up as he admired the naked body of his perfect lover, perching on top of the narrow vanity table, with clothes scattered on the ground in a semicircle.   The guitarist’s magical fingers aroused and soothed his pliant partner all at once.  Confident and in control, Scotty pulled the singer to the edge of the table, placing that pair of graceful legs over his arms, entering the younger man from below in a tight embrace.  Elvis almost burst into tears from the rush of warmth and intimacy that enveloped him.  His heart screamed in ecstasy, but his mouth was seized and occupied by Scotty’s zealous tongue, so only the odd moan was heard.  Finally releasing his mouth when both of them were out of breath, Scotty lifted his boyfriend off of the vanity top and flipped him over to face the mirror. 
Elvis bent over the countertop with his chest touching the cool wooden surface, he could feel one firm hand of his lover on his back pushing him down while his lower body was crowded in from behind.  Next Elvis’ hands were caught, and they were easily tied up behind his back with a necktie.  Experienced hands stroked him up and down sensuously, from his erect nipples to his narrow waist, not to mention the firm and shapely buttocks.  Warm lips peppered his lower and then upper back with little pecks, working up to the base of his neck.  Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Elvis as he felt a vicious bite there.  He couldn’t help but let out a scream after what felt like a beastly or a vampire attack.  Everything happened so fast, and it all went horribly wrong after that. 
“What on earth? Scotty, are you alright?”  Trying to get over his shock and understand what happened, the young singer asked his partner.  This was greeted with silence and a hand that grabbed his neck and choked it with brutal strength.  Another hand pulled his head up by the hair until he saw his own reflection in the vanity mirror a few inches away.  Pale and perturbed, the young man on the receiving end of this senseless battering finally caught a glimpse of the man who dealt it out.  “Scotty can’t answer you.  You are mine now, El!” The officer in Kempei uniform sported a malevolent grin on his face.   He turned his suffocating and defenseless victim over, licked across his chest and nipples, making his ill intent clear.  When Ken Ishikawa finally released his strangle hold on Elvis’ throat, the feisty young American spat right in his face: “Let go of me, you son of a bitch!! What did you do to my Scotty?”   
Without a flinch, the Major wiped the saliva from the side of his face with a handkerchief.  Unsheathing his katana, the officer showed the fresh blood on its sharp and shiny blade: “Are you sure you want me to answer the question?  Let’s just say you’ll never see your lover again.” 
“No way!  You liar!  Scotty is still alive!  I know it!”  Elvis went berserk at the ludicrous suggestion that his Scotty had been killed.  Completely disregarding the danger and deadliness of the Kempei officer wielding a katana sword, he kneed Ishikawa in the gut and tried to run despite his hands being tied up behind him.  That was when he felt a cold blade impaling him in the middle of the back.  He collapsed to the ground with blood pouring out and his life rapidly draining from him, the last thought on his mind before everything faded to black was: “Scotty is alive, he will be fine, I know it…”
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A P-40 Warhawk, part of the famous Flying Tigers, sits near a runway in China while a C-46 Commando lands in the background.
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lickmystamp · 10 months
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US postage stamp, 2000 “Joseph W. Stilwell" Scott #3420
Issued: August 24, 2000 - Providence, RI Quantity: n/a Designer: Richard Sheaff and Mark Summers Printed By: Banknote Corporation of America (Lithographed and engraved)
Honored on the first Distinguished Americans series stamp is General Joseph W. Stilwell (1883-1946). A 1904 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Stilwell was sent to Burma in 1942 to assist Chinese and British troops who were defending Burma against Japanese aggression. He commanded all American forces in the China-Burma-India theater of operations during World War II. Stilwell, whose outspoken nature earned him the nickname "Vinegar Joe," served as Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's chief of staff and was the first American general to command a Chinese army.
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monkeyssalad-blog · 1 month
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B-29 Princess Eileen II with crew
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B-29 Princess Eileen II with crew by TK622 Via Flickr: B-29 S/N 42-24462 of the 678th Bomb Squad, 444th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force. Pictured here with 20 combat missions and 30 trips over the hump marked on her nose. Most likely photographed while the unit was still deployed to the China Burma India Theater. Later photos taken on Tinian show her with more Hump crossing camel marks. Judging by the numbers and letters written on top left of the photo, it seems to be a photo taken by a unit photographer. Reclaimed at the Armarillo Army Air Field on 30 June 1946.
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ausnaphistoryblog · 11 months
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M1917 Eddystone Short Rifle: China-Burma-India Theater | Gunboards Forums
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alexbyrth · 1 year
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Display at "La Ferte Alais" airshow on 19 may 2013.. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning ( Flying Bulls ) was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Named "fork-tailed devil" (der Gabelschwanz-Teufel) by the Luftwaffe and "two planes, one pilot" (2飛行機、1パイロット Ni hikōki, ippairotto?) by the Japanese,[5] the P-38 was used in a number of roles, including dive bombing, level bombing, ground-attack, night fighting, photo-reconnaissance missions,[6] and extensively as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks under its wings. The P-38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations as the mount of America's top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories) and Thomas McGuire (38 victories). In the South West Pacific theater, the P-38 was the primary long-range fighter of United States Army Air Forces until the appearance of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs toward the end of the war.[ The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought,[1] in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942--1953).[2][3][4] The Corsair served in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well as the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. It quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II,[5] and the U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair.[6] As well as being an outstanding fighter, the Corsair proved to be an excellent fighter-bomber, serving almost exclusively in the latter role throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars
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