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Quick-witted and Pistol-Wielding Marine Cleared a Nest of Nazi Spies in Turbulent China
Marine Captain Frank Farrell stood in the open door of the Army Air Corps C-47 waiting for the "green light," the signal to leap into space on a mission that could mean life and death for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people. He and a hand-picked team were parachuting into the Japanese-held city of Canton, China; to hammer out the details of surrender-only two days after Emperor Hirohito had capitulated.
Having served with the First Marine Division during the Guadalcanal and Peleliu operations and as an Office of Strategic Services (OSS) field commander, he was well aware of how fanatical the Japanese could be. Would they obey and surrender, or would they disobey and tight'? Farrell's jump was truly a leap of faith.
He could plainly see armed Japanese forming a reception committee as he floated down.
Immediately upon landing, the team was surrounded by bayonet-wielding Japanese infantrymen who obviously did not know about the surrender. Talking fast, Farrell was able to convince their commander to take them to the Swiss Embassy, where they stayed for two days while waiting for the Japanese to sort it out.
Finally able to meet the Japanese commander, Farrell was greatly relieved to find that he was going to obey the Emperor and agree to the details of surrendering his command to General Chang Fa Kwai, Commander in Chief, 2nd Chinese Army Group. At the time, Farrell was the officer in charge of an OSS field intelligence center attached to that Chinese army group.
The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor caused a whirlwind of patriotic sentiment, and Frank Farrell was caught up in it. At the age of 29, tall and leading-- man handsome, he was the feature editor of the New York World Telegram. His occupation allowed him to associate with the upper crust of New York society, where he earned a reputation as a ladies' man and an "up and comer." He was outgoing and gregarious, a man who projected a hail-fellow, well-met personality. He was not a dilettante, however, for he was known for having ambition and drive, with a newsman's tenacious quest for accuracy and completeness.
Physically and mentally tough, Farrell decided...