Cloak and Dagger: The Kachin Story

Welcome to the Great Adventurers of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of Cloak and Dagger. I do want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, to please follow us using your favorite podcast software, and to remind you that this program's brought you in part

Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission behind the enemy lines knowing you may never return alive? What you have just heard is the question asked during the war to agents of the OSS ordinary citizens who to this question answered yes.

This is.

Clock and Dagger. Black warfare, espionage, international intrigue. These are the weapons of the OSS. Today's adventure, the Cutchin story tells of an agent an American agent dropped behind Japanese lines in Burma, a story suggested by actual incidents recorded in the Washington files of the Office of Strategic Services, a story that can now be told. The sky hangs low over Burner in nineteen forty four. It was more than just the smoke and dust haze that blankets in

You gotta reach your objective in a few minutes, Mike good, I'll tell you when to hit the cell.

You got everything, yep, Radio spies, I'm all set. Why that's thick jungle down there, thick with Jeff, That's what I mean. I looked down on the towering jungle colored mountains of North Burma. I thought of the small band of Cutching natives who are waiting to meet. I thought about how pitifully outnumbered they were behind the enemy lines. Now they hated the Japs. And then, all of a sudden, I didn't have time to think anymore. Lousy jet fighter,

Sorry, you're gonna be late for your appointment.

Brother. What I could do with a tail gunner?

Now?

Hold out of your stomach.

Mic, We're gonna see if I can loop and get behind him.

Hi, he's stilling a tail.

Yeah, he looked right behind me.

He hit or rented. I'm quiet lousy, I swirt. You caught him? How better we hit? We all making better?

Try to belly laugh?

Can we jump? Hold off for that? Hold on, watch those trees. I can't pull her up, bike, I.

Can't, I can't.

I was thrown from the plane when we crashed. I got off with nothing more than a that was bleeding pretty bad. When I crawled back to the wreck, I found a pilot. He wasn't so lucky. I started to run. I didn't know where I was going, but I started to run anyway through the bamboo thickets. My leg was throbbing with pain, and I tripped. The pistol dropped out of my hoster and disappeared into the high grass. I didn't have time to look for it, somewhere to the

Well, well, now you're talking, sure, And you couldn't look more surprised, Captain, than if the tall grass potted and you came on a field of fall leaf clovers. I feel that my father, like you, turned over a stone and there we were.

What's about it? I thought that night of following him it was a head hunter. I know they'd turned any American over. The Japs were a two pound bag of salt.

Hey, you're right there on the holy savages that they are. We saw your plane fall, and I sent you here after you with that message written on the card.

He's the fastest runner in the Kutchin village.

I'm sorry he puts such's care into you. Oh forgive me, Captain, say did I pull the bandage too tightly?

Then? No, No, that's okay. I don't want it too much. When I think it would have happened to the pilot. I was lucky. Yes, it was a pitchy about the pilots Ying. This is if you don't mind. Thank you.

There now almost don't now. Then we'll go out and you will meet the villages. The women have prepared a special banquet for you, and that's very nice in them.

Have you been a missionary here in Burma? Long father? For almost twelve years now? I hardly remember any other life.

These good natives have all become sons and daughters to me. We've taught each other. I speak their language. They all speak English. Now I do as well as I almost. Then I have a question, father, Yes I'll come. Ying over there took ten years off my life, chased me through the jungle. Why didn't he say something? Well, Ying didn't speak to your captain Shay because he wasn't able to. He was a prisoner of the Japanese some time ago. They cut out his tongue, that other all of bandage. Pleasing,

Yes, I will be happy to here you are.

What did you call her? Father, Colleen?

To make it easier for me, I've renamed many of the villagers. That woman stirring the big Kettler's Kathleen and the other beside her bridget I get.

The general idea.

And your name is shay Ah Mike say a good Irish nahorbo?

I ever heard one? Well, actually, father, it's Michael Chicaalnikov. Would you mind repeating that Chicagnikov? It's Polish, I shorten because everybody has trouble pronouncing. Sometimes I have trouble myself spelling them.

I see, well, no matter, no matter. Tell me more about your mission.

When I was sent by the OSS to establish radio contact, father, with the Northern Area Combat Command in Burman, give them any information and help by CAM. That is, with your help, of course.

A well, you'll find us of great assistance immediately after the bank which you can find a place to set up your radio.

How are you enjoying? You mean? My wife never made anything of taste it like this? Did you like it? Well? Let me feel your plate some more. Thanks, that's very good. H What is it we make it?

I sure for you today, white bee sweep boy for hours.

Uh, I guess I've had enough. I don't feel right moving you out of your het, father.

Gosh, quite all right, I can easily find another basher.

This is the best spot for your radio.

I'll even leave you the decorations on the walls to inspire you.

Ginger Rogers, that's your favorite pin up? Well, she's a fair lass, all right. She brightens up the basher with your permission. Then I'll stick a snapchat of my wife up with the rest of these pictures. And that does it. You know when I think of my wife, will Phil little guilty? Why is that? Micheon? Oh? I don't know. I thought of her going blind, squeezing all the nose from home in the female were in a self sick about me and all the time I never felt more

I love this life in the jungle as well as the people, my people here. I don't think I could ever leave now, check bitter By, Do you mind if I call you?

Oh, Shay, No, not at all, father, O do them? Not at all? This jungle home was a far cry from a third four walk up in New York and the job behind the desk in the insurance office. The Cutching Warriors aren't imposing figures. The short squat with long matted hair and teeth worn to a black stub by beetlenut. They led a simple village life, eating rice, trapping wild pigs, the technique they also used in trapping wild Japs. But they were friendly, happy people, and life for them it's pleasant.

North Area Combat Command to Agent chakaal Nikov.

Agian chakol Nikov of the OSS to North Area Combat Command, you're coming in clear A waiting message come in over Capture.

Of jungle town of Mitchina and its airstrip is vital to aid a light advance in Burma. Battalions of American marauders will attempt capture. They will rely on your help to get them through the jungle. Over Agient Chicolonnikov. The headquarters have small band of Cutchins organized. We will do what we can. A waiting further instructions over Other native armies under OSS leadership have been alerted. Stand by, stand by. This is imperative.

Over and out, Oh, father tool, I didn't see who standing there? You heard? I heard Oshi. This is a big push all right. That airport at Mitchener could mean success of failure the whole American campaign. Burman, We'll get our warriors ready. In the meantime, there's nothing we can do but wait for orders. That's always the worst part of it.

Wait quite quite, my children, Quite now, Jesus, I have told you, when the order comes from the Americans, we will advance upon the enemy.

We leave now, father, catch enemy ourselves.

No, no, no, no, that's not the way we must work.

From now on. The American will be our leader. We will do as he says. We will follow Captain or shame.

North area. Comeback command to Aged Chakalnikov in Burma. A battalion of marauders on the way to Minchina has been caught off from the main body of the column and lost in the jungle.

Radio contact. Gone find them and supply reinforcements. Overt Asian Chakhonakov the headquarters. We'll do the best we can. Over not well, we've waited two weeks for an assignment, but when it came it was a beauty.

Well, the problem oshe is locating that battalion. Now it occurs to me, yes, yes, father, it occurs to me that if they're surrounded by the Japanese somewhere in the jungle. The Japanese themselves would know exactly where that spot is.

Father, I don't get you.

Well, there's a Japanese beople wacked less than six miles from here. They're are undoubtedly Japanese high command who have the information we're after.

I've got you now, father, But one of the scouts can with me to show me the way with the jungle. We'll sneak into that JAP camp and bring one of the officers back with us here. Lor sure sure to who my neighbors will liably get caught. Just a couple of us can make it all right.

Wait till the moon is halfway across the sky, then go and the Lord go with you.

When the moon was halfway across the sky, the scout and I set out back through the jungle I had come from. Only this time I was a shadow too, slipping behind the bamboo thickets, cutting my way through a dense jungle foliage. We didn't talk much, only what was necessary.

JAP camp, Claw, Jack camp there ahead, she so bushes.

Yeah, I see, And those fires lit must be some kind of a power going on.

Sent there were finger point Yeah, yeah, I see it. We will surprise and sneak in camp. I'm there behind, not duck guy, not tuck nice being many chap okay through the bushes, follow me, Watch for.

Snakes that your worry about? What about the time? It's wild boards, commodo lizards?

What a snake?

Snick? Your move is? Strike? What do we do? Can you get them? With a stick? A rock? Gun? Best gun? The hearers gun best rock? No good, stick, no good. If I miss, you.

Would die then none bomb.

And I stood there like somebody who can froze, dumb and stiff. My heart was pounding like a jungle tom tom. If he killed the snake, the Japs were sure to come running. If he didn't. He raised his gun, slow slow. The snake was swaying back and forth, that snake much debt. He killed him, all right? If we didn't have time to escape back into the foliage. After that, nothing's there on my mind. For Jap's all around us, yelling like crazy, and lots of guns going, and the cutching scouts fell

Wake up, American, wake up?

What happened?

Oh?

Oh my head.

I am kind of Hiji of Japanese High Command. I regret that we were forced to render you such stormy.

Welcome, Colonel Hiati Eh, you speak English pretty well.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CHLUSS thirty seven.

The wed Clinton High School, the Bronx class of thirty three. We will get along well.

I think if we make a little trade.

What kind of a trade you're right for?

Little information? I see the American marauders. I want to know the numbers, their positions, their objective.

I don't know. If I did, I wouldn't tell you God.

That whip was simple. We have much more in store for you. If you do not agree to be more agreeable to our simple requests. I give you twenty four hours to take it o by American.

The hot they threw me under was small and dark. There was a sentry posted at the entrance. What I remember most about those twenty four hours was the heat. Wet, sticky heat that made my skin crawl and my lips dry. It was a cute tricketing in my tea graduate class of thirty seven to let the water drip from a pipe right outside the barred window. After a while, it begins to get you when you're thirsty.

Yo, get up, Get up, Canna I eat it?

See you now? Up? American?

Up?

Oh, okay, okay, get your hands off me. What's that stampede? Stampede? Even?

Oh god, that's one less Japanese to what is the true where you come from? What is this? No time for long explanations now, lad They out numbered as fifty to one, and we needed heavy ammunition.

Elephant with the heaviest we could fight. Yeah, but how to tell.

When you didn't come back? I sent a run out. We found the body of this guy. Come, we must leave now.

But the information I came to get, oh that we'll take it with us. Cutching warriors in this village have a grudge against your people, Colonel Hayachi, Maybe you can tell us why.

You cannot frighten me American. You'll get no information from me. Shoes on the other foot, now, huh.

So it would seem ying I'd like you to meet Ying Colonel haih Some months ago, he was a Japanese prisoner. His tongue was cut out. I'm gonna turn you over the ying No no, he can ask your questions his own way. Go on take him no, no, no, no, get you away from me. I will tell you what you want to know.

I won't tell you why we have surround and lost, but tell you I tell you where they are.

That's more like. It's not talk. Warriors got ready to attack, and a great holiday spirit took over the village.

But we must come. We always come oshe when our warriors go ambush Japanese.

But this is crazy. I can't have a lot of women and kids and old men tagging along. We go, we go.

Old men carry fintlock muzzle loader. Women we do our job or so now wait a minute. When battle finish, women cook, big party, somebody dear.

Monkey me what and serve a pipe and hot in the front lines. Nothing doing. I'm gonna see father, oa't tool about this. You have your problems.

I have my no say, But we can't let that whole tribe come along. This isn't kids play. They'll come with your life be pure or not?

Ohay, they always do in the mean boy, look at my predicament. John soner shait.

And stole me false teeth. What an't I to do without your tea? Father oat tool? Please? We have much time I eat. You gave us a map. We know where the marauders and the Gap attackers are, but we won't do them any could just sitting here. I'm not just sitting here, Chay. I'm trying to find me teeth. The whole village went along, whether I liked it or not, and Father Road too came along too without teeth. The Cutching warrior n the black trails of the jungle as

This junction of the two trails. He's not sure which one to take. That's itching, isn't it?

Madam's split up half. Let's go one way?

No no, no, they're on to no pu.

The cutcheons have their own methods. Where is Ying pointing at me?

He's given you the honor of contributing the hair from your head. The hair from your head. Here, let me have one. Ah, thank you, hideyo ying.

Why's he throwing it on the ground.

We'll go in the direction to hair points.

It's not very scientific, but g tar rage works. Ah, it points to the right. We'll go to the right, the right, father told the dead word. There are the chaps, and there were the marauders down here to those foxhorts.

Yeah, they're surrounded or right for it as so when if they held out this long?

Our business there needs to attack the enemy from the rear and give them a tiding.

A chance to hit back. We can't attack them. There's too many of them. We'll have to ambush. Hey, he's true.

For me, I had my teeth, or you could think better.

Gin, some of you others come here, listen. Our only chance is to draw them off from the left. Is a clearing name. They'll give the marauders a chance to get out of them and circlement.

He says, chaps, Oh, here we set trapped with them. That's the idea, Panji, we like pang pangy.

What's that? Hey, you want to trap?

Said what he'd about witness the cutcheons secret weapon.

What are they doing?

Their wit and goes bamboo pooge to sharp pors. Then they'll stick to them with the slangs beneath the underbrush. I'll need to show you to the trade. When the enemy passes our war is your ployer and the Japanese a dive to the sides.

I get it and cut themselves to ribbons. Very affect, very quitted. The natives work quickly, the women helping them whittle a bamboo to raising points. When everything was ready, I took a few of them unto the left flank and we fired, and they ran right into our trap. Very effective, not se critter. I committed mass harry carry all along the trail. That's all there was to it, And I never thought we'd get out of those foxholes alive. Captain Chichonikov, thanks helping us chase the rest of the

No, Major, The women would be in shirted hundred in the battle table. Visual preparing the victory fish.

Pretty sure of themselves.

The good wives, they have confidence in their husbands. The feast is ready. They're even dressed for it.

Worry that blows in their hair and everything all dressed up.

One of them may show a dressed Colleen comb here, yes, father, don't you? Yes?

Father me? What do you got around your neck? Well?

I bow for the victim.

My fag teeth.

Now you find yourself another neglition. Give them back story?

No, then I have nothing, say Colleen. Listen to me. Here, he's something prettier. My shop. Shoot is meted shot shoot mm hmm. Every American soldier has one to give the previous girling meats. Would you like it? So shiny?

Driven? Pretty too? Father too?

You have back your.

Teeth, Captain Shikarnikov, you're worthy of the name of war shame.

The capture of the vital airstrip and the ultimate conquest of Mitchener was due to the combined efforts of the marauders who attacked it and the Kuchin warriors who helped them and harass the enemy all along the way. And once more, the report of an OSS agent closes with the words mission accomplished. A further Adventure in Black Warfare

Speaking do you enjoy a capricious caper or a melodramatic mystery? NBC offers three of the best for your pleasure Later today, a giant among men, the Big Guy leads off with Vincent Price as the Saint close behind. Popping off this list is Sam Spade license number one, three, seven, nine six in the Elmer Longtail Caper. So listen for three top mysteries on NBC.

Welcome back to be fair to father O'Toole. It's hard to focus on anything if you're missing something important to you, and I can't imagine trying to go about my business while missing my teeth. Kudos to the actor for portraying that point and being as consistent as possible in showing how Father O'Toole was struggling to talk without his teeth, and Father O'Toole is probably one of the wider characters

All right.

One other thing, I was kind of thinking about maybe doing a T shirt around Cloak and Dagger or the OSS. If there is interest in that, please let me know. But now let's go ahead and think all Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to thank Bernie, Patreon supporter since June of twenty twenty four, currently supporting the podcast at the Shawmas level of four dollars or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Bernie. And again, if you are enjoying this podcast, please follow us using