February 15: Up at 8 - good sleep - persimmons - breakfast with District Commander - much eggs - good meal. Had toast and real tea. Commander (General Chaou) gave me a Samurai sword - a swell one. Interpreter gave talk on location, Jap positions, etc. and we see that we really have been through it. About two more days to the next headquarters and then about ten days to Fouping where we think there is an airfield. They took pictures of us and fitted us for Chinese uniforms. The Chinese washed our handkerchiefs and underwear - sure hope I am deloused. Still praying and thinking of home and Bette often. They sent wire to Yenan giving our position. We found out that the Japs had a big ambush for us at the last railroad. We heard that the Russians are now twenty miles from Berlin. Expect to rest a few days here - we need it, especially Morrison. All of us have had colds. Expect better treatment from here on in. Morrison’s eye is closed and swelled up because he bailed out with his glasses on and lost them. Osterhouse put on his shoe for the first time. Ate good supper - egg omelette. Eating many nuts, pears and persimmons. I am in warm room - other two are cold. There are 200 Japs ten miles from here. Had a long talk with the interpreter and he told us about the 500,000 troops and the 9 million people that Mao and the Communists control. We feel pretty confident that the ex-Jap landing strip at Fouping will get us out. Did not feel well today - bed at 8 PM. Underwear still wet.

February 16: Up at 8 - bowels loose. Fair breakfast. Am wearing underwear and I think I am deloused. Time sure drags - expect to leave here the day after tomorrow. Got puppet money. Expect to get Jap flag. Fighter pilot and I gave speeches before large audience, answered questions. Very embarrassing questions about National Army (Chiang Kai-shek). Cold about the same. Morrison’s bad eye has improved but the other one is going bad now. Tempers very bad among the crew. Got new socks. My lip is breaking out. Some of the boys played basketball today. Interpreter gave us high hopes of flying out of Fouping. Fellows are always counting days, time, miles and the capabilities of a C-47 (its ability to land and take off on a short, rough, dirt runway). I expect to be airborne within two weeks. Ate - chow not so good now. Beans, bread, turnips all the time - very little meat. Lots of nuts and fruit but still only two meals a day. Weather warmer - bed at 8 PM.

February 17: Awake at six - bowels very loose - too much sleep. Good sack - lots of blankets and we will keep one each. Got bag to carry items - deloused again - they bite like hell. I don’t know which is worse, their bite or their constant crawling. They drive you nuts! Ate - B-29 passed over at 10 AM - vapor trails and easy to see - it’s our boys and a great feeling. Interpreter says headquarters up ahead, wants us to rush. Leave tomorrow. Koreans caught up with us today. Cold very little better. Morrison’s eyes very bad - ankle much better. Slight headache. Find that patience is a great virtue - fellows are very uneasy because we are not moving. Still wondering about home, Bette, squadron and whether we will return to the States. Ate - beans again - food getting a lot worse. Eating lots of cheese and bread to fill up and stop my bowels. No clothes yet. To bed at 6:30.

February 18: Up at seven - bowels still loose. Deloused again - found two. Breakfast - cheese, beans and bread. Clothes came at noon - small but OK. Gave my gun to Gen. Chou - got flag at last. Also got camera and nine rolls of film and I am really happy now. Took four pictures. Morrison got crutches and I loaned him my sunglasses. His eyes and ankle are much better. Found that there are Americans at Fouping (two spies) and they are the ones who want us to hurry so our hopes are really high. Should leave tomorrow after breakfast for sure. Got another sword to raffle off among the boys. Bowels improving - feel pretty good. Ate - beans again. Had the interpreter and General in for a couple of hours before we went to bed. Got pack of good cigarettes. Heard that a B-29 circled a couple of nearby towns the other day. To bed at 8.

February 19: Off at 10 AM - Cpl. Fall won the sword. Sad parting but sure glad to be on our way. Two pictures. Pretty good donkeys. Fairly warm - long trip - arrived about 8 PM. Very high mountain, no food all day. Got eggs, bread, meat and onions about 10 PM. Put door under me and slept on it because bed got too hot.

February 20: Fair sleep - not cold - blanket a life saver. Took picture and changed rolls. Towns around here all ruined by the Japs. Day is overcast - looks like snow. Cold much better - lip still bad. Off at 11 AM and stopped one hour at noon - took picture. Ate three nuts, egg and two slices of bread on the trail but was still hungry. Arrived early, 4 PM. This town is large headquarters. Ate persimmons, pears, peanuts and got fairly good cigarettes. Good interpreter and good wash. Ate a feast that was best yet - honey and coffee. Fine clean beds and rooms - good blankets - pretty warm. Found that we are all swimming with lice so we slept in raw and had our clothes boiled. Interpreter slept in our room on first real bed we have seen in a month.

February 21: Up at 8 - wonderful sleep - good wash. Ate three pears and peanuts - breakfast at 10. Feast. They now claim that there is no airfield at Fouping and the boys’ spirits are way down. Morrison’s eye is bad again so he and Double (who is sick) will stay here while the rest of us go on and try to build a landing strip at Fouping. Hope they will let us leave tomorrow. Cold much better, Note from two Americans, Russian and Jap who are in the next compound but it sounds fishy so we were advised not to see them. Woman doctor fixed Morrison’s eye. Still praying a lot. One week to Fouping and a months from there to Yenan.