My aunt is a published author! Well, to be fair, she's had numerous articles and pieces published before, but this is her first book. The Rice Paddy Navy: US Soldiers Undercover in China is on sale today. I've been eagerly awaiting its debut!
Her father was deployed to China during World War II. I'm told he had endless stories about his experiences there, and that's how my aunt became interested in the US forces in China.
Here's the book description from my aunt:
An American naval officer, Commander Milton Miles, and a Chinese spymaster, General Dai Li, teamed up in a quest to uproot the Japanese from China in World War II. Initially ordered to gather weather information and intelligence to aid the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet, Miles joined Dai to form the Sino-American Cooperative Organization. They built a network of military training camps, transforming Chinese peasants, pirates, and police officers into guerrilla soldiers and saboteurs.
My father, Chief Ship Fitter Charles L. Kush, was among those deployed to China as an instructor. He joined his students in the field to “set off explosives and run like hell.”
The Rice Paddy Navy features some well-known characters like “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of the OSS, “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell who carved out the Burma Road, Claire Chennault, father of the Flying Tigers, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. But the real heroes of the story are young navy men and ordinary Chinese from all walks of life. It is a story of adventure, friendship, political rivalry, and tragedy.
I'm so excited about her work, and I'm excited to tell my readers about it, too. So, please, if there's a history buff in your family or circle of friends, or someone you know who is a total bibliophile, send them this book! It would make a nice Christmas gift (hint, hint!). If you can't find it at your local bookstore, it's for sale here on amazon.com. There's also a Kindle edition!
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