The United States Marines in north China (Unknown Binding)

by John Alexander White (Author)

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 217 pages
• Publisher: White (1974)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0006CEYZE
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The United States Marines in North China, January 19, 2000

By	Ed Fulwider (Pacifica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The United States Marines in North China (Hardcover)

As a "China Marine" I can state that this is one of the best books I have ever read about life as a Marine in China, the old 4th Regiment, as well as the Legation Marines and the "Horse" Marines.I knew Col "Jack" White for nearly 50 years until he passed away about 3 years ago. This book is a whole lot more than just about the Marines in China. Captain John White was captured by the Japanese troops on 8 December, 1941 and spent nearly four years as POW. At the time of his capture Captain White was on a train in charge of a detail bringing the bones of "Peking Man" to Shanghai for shipment to the Smithsonian Institute. The bones were contained in a USMC wooden locker box and the Japanese troops came through the train looking for loot. When they found nothing in the box of value, only old bones, they were discarded as junk on the tracks. For the rest of his life Col. White was considered an expert on "Peking Man" and often lectured on the subject. The book is really two books in one, the first half about life in China and the second half about life as a POW and their desparate daily struggle to stay alive. It is filled with stories of their efforts to outwits their sadistic guards, their attempts to have garden and grow some of their own food, their terible work details and the almost daily burial details. Jack stayed in the Corps after a long period in the hospital, made Colonel during the Korean War before retiring. He was a member of the Annapolis Class of 1931 and lived long enough to return for the 60th Class Reunion. His wife was one of the early female aviatiors and was a peer of Amelia Earheart and "Pancho" Gonzales. He came from a long line of military leaders. His two brother were West Point graduates, one retiring as a two star Army General, the other a two star Air Force General. Colonel Jack was the uncle of Astronaut Edward White, the first American to walk in space and who was later killed with Chaffee and Grissom in the fire that destroyed their space capsule during training for their next space mission. Colonel White was negotiating with a publisher to republish his book when he died. I would be very happy to share more information about Colonel John White with anyone who has an interest