UFelix Smith wandizisa i-"Hump" phezu kwezintaba ze-Himalaya phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, ehlangene nomholi we-Flying Tigers yodumo ngemuva kwempi yaseShayina futhi iminyaka eminingi eshayela izindiza ezazizoba yi-CIA-run Air America eChina, eTaiwan, Korea, I-Vietnam ne-Laos -- badutshulwa njalo ngesikhathi kuqhubeka inqubo.
Washada nomzukulu wenkosi yokugcina yase-Okinawa futhi kamuva waba umqondisi wezokusebenza weSouth Pacific Island Airways eHawaii.
Khona-ke kwakungemangazi lapho umlotha kaSmith usakazwa ku-Coast Guard umsiki e-Oahu ngesonto eledlule, ukuthi owayeyi-ejenti ye-CIA, umshayeli wendiza ye-Air America, inganekwane endizayo yeMpi Yezwe II kanye nabanye abantu abamibalabala.
"Cha. 1, ubengumuntu omangalisayo -- omangalisayo ukuba khona. Futhi umshayeli wendiza omuhle," kusho umngane wesikhathi eside nozakwabo ongumshayeli wendiza uGlen Van Ingen, owamazi uSmith kusukela ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960 futhi waphinde wandiza waya e-Air America.
"Uma uvela edolobheni elincane eliseWisconsin futhi ufuna ukubona umhlaba, ubungeke wenze umsebenzi ongcono kunawo," kusho uVan Ingen, 86, ekhuluma ngoSmith.
USmith ushone ngo-Okthoba 3, 2018, eMilwaukee eneminyaka engu-100. Umngane uClark Hatch, ohlala e-Honolulu, uthe isifiso sakhe sokugcina sasiwukuba umlotha wakhe uhlakazeke ePacific ngaseHawaii.
Umfelokazi wakhe, uJunko Smith, uthe umyeni wakhe ube “nesikhathi esingcono kakhulu” ehlala eHawaii iminyaka engu-21, kusukela ngasekupheleni kwawo-1970.
"Ubeyithanda iHawaii," esho ngemuva kwenkonzo yesikhumbuzo egibele umsiki we-Coast Guard u-Oliver Berry."(Wayehlala ethi) ikhaya lakhe kuseHawaii. Siphile impilo emnandi kakhulu eHawaii."
ULt. Cmdr.UKenneth Franklin, owayengumkhuzi womsiki ngaleso sikhathi, uthe, "UFelix Smith ukhonze izwe, kanti nonogada basoGwini bayaziqhenya ngokuhlonipha izimpilo zalabo abasebenzele isizwe."
USmith ubhale ngokuphila kwakhe okundizayo -- izinto eziwuzungu lwamazwe ngamazwe kanye nokuzijabulisa -- encwadini yakhe, "China Pilot: Flying for Chennault during the Cold War."Uqale wandizela ngeCivil Air Transport, eyaba yingxenye ye-CIA's Air America.
I-ejensi yezobunhloli yanquma ukuthi idinga amandla okuthutha emoyeni e-Asia, futhi ngo-1950 yathenga ngasese impahla ye-Civil Air Transport.
Umphathi wendiza "CAT" umemezele ukuthi abashayeli bezindiza akufanele bakhulume nge-CIA ngegama futhi esikhundleni salokho kufanele babize ama-ejenti ngokuthi "amakhasimende."
Phakathi neMpi YaseKorea, uSmith wayehlelelwe ukuba andizele eSaipan.Lapho efika e-Andersen Air Force Base e-Guam, umphathi we-Air Force weqa iJeep yakhe wama futhi wathi, "Wenzani lapha?"Kusho uSmith encwadini yakhe.
“Ngaphambi kokuba ngithole impendulo ehloniphekile, kwafika umthwali wezikhali nezakhamuzi ezingaba ngu-15 ezigqoke amahembe e-aloha noma ama-khaki angenalutho, izigqoko ezingamalitha angu-10, izigqoko zelanga noma ezingenazo izigqoko, amabhuzu ezinkomo, izimbadada zenjoloba noma izicathulo zethenisi,” ebhala.
Endizeni ebuyayo, uSmith wandiza abagibeli abayisishiyagalolunye abavale amehlo -- bonke abantu baseShayina abaqeqeshwe njengezinhloli -- kanye "nabathengi" abathathu.Umsindo womoya osheshayo ugijima endlini yangasese wamtshela ukuthi umnyango omkhulu wawuvuliwe wavala.
"Angishongo lutho kodwa ngiqaphele, ngemuva kokuhla, ukuthi kwehla abagibeli abayisishiyagalombili kuphela. Bengicabanga ukuthi amakhasimende ethu athole ama-ejenti amabili," kubhala uSmith.
Ekupheleni kweMpi Yezwe II, uSmith wayengumshayeli wendiza ne-China National Aviation Corp. esebenza ngaphansi kobuhlakani beButho LaseMelika.
U-Gen. Claire Chennault, owayengemuva kwe-Flying Tigers, ithimba labashayeli bezindiza abangamavolontiya baseMelika ababelwa namaJapane e-China, basungula i-Civil Air Transport ukuze bahlangabezane nezidingo zase-China zangemva kwempi.
USmith waqashwa, kwathi ngo-1946 wandizela eHawaii ukuyolanda indiza esele ukuze aqale inkampani yezindiza.
“Ngesikhathi sifika eWheeler Field, sagqolozela amathuna lapho kushone khona amabhanoyi,” esho encwadini yakhe."Izimoto zethu ezingu-15 uCurtis C-46 bezibukeka njengezindlovu ezibolayo."
I-CAT isebenze ngokubambisana ne-Chinese Nationalist Party eholwa ngu-Chiang Kai-Shek.Kwesinye isigameko emishinini eminingi, uSmith walinga amaconsi omoya ezingothi zamagobolondo nerayisi eTaiyuan eChina njengoba iRed Army ivala.
"Kuthathe amaphasi amaningana ukukhipha lonke irayisi. Amabhola egalofu abomvu -- ama-racer gun -- agobe ngaphansi kwethu," wabhala.
I-CAT yathutha imali yesiliva yaseBank of China yayisa e-Hong Kong ngaphambi kokuthi u-Chiang enze i-Taiwan isihlalo se-Kuomintang Party.
UJack DeTour, isakhamuzi sase-Honolulu kanye nomshayeli wezindiza weMpi Yezwe II B-25, ukhumbule ukuhlangana noSmith ngesikhathi owangaphambili endizela ePhilippines ukuyoqeqesha abashayeli bezindiza be-CAT nge-C-119 "Flying Boxcar" ukuze basize amaFulentshi eVietnam.
"Ngilinganise uFelix njengomunye wabashayeli bezindiza abahamba phambili kwengake ngabahlola," kukhumbula uDeTour, owayeseqenjini labaqaphi basoGwini enkonzweni yesikhumbuzo.
USmith undize indiza ye-C-47 engena futhi ephuma e-Vientiane e-Laos eya ezigodini zase-Hmong lapho izikhali zazihlanganisa iminsalo nezibhamu ze-flintlock.Kwenye indiza wahambisa amabhomu amabutho ombuso, kanti kwenye, wahambisa irayisi kwi-US Agency for International Development.
Encwadini yakhe yango-1995, uSmith wabhala ukuthi "emuva eNtshonalanga engokoqobo, iminyaka kude nesizinda se-'Alice in Wonderland's' topsy-turvy, ngibambe izinkumbulo ngokushesha ngemisila yazo, ngizibuza ukuthi lezo zinto eziyinqaba zenzeka ngempela yini. Ingilazi ebukayo yembula kuphela ubuso obugugile."
This article is written by William Cole from The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Dec-02-2019