A personal, historical vignette

By Cainnech Ó Sullibhain

Every day in our lives we hear of the men who fight battles for their country and become heroes, but we never hear of the unsung heroes that are never even mentioned in the news media. They are of course both men and women who are put into a position where their loyalty and bravery go well beyond that of a soldier on the battlefield. This story is one that no one ever got wind of. I speak as one of those who risked his life, maybe out of loyalty or common sense, who partook in such an operation.

This begins on a simple voyage to Japan in 1965. I had been in contact for some years with the editor of a well-known U.S. magazine, and had a lot of correspondence with him. When I wrote to him and told him that I was on my way to Dairen, Manchuria, he immediately wrote to me. Knowing that I was quite willing to take chances, he requested in a letter I do a bit of snooping in Manchuria. When I reached Yokohama, Japan, I took off for Tokyo, where I knew that I could pick up some equipment to use in Manchuria. I also bought a mini-camera, which was something that I had not counted on buying.

We arrived in Dairen on a Saturday morning. During the trip, I had to get my shipmates angry with me, in order to keep them away from my cabin. I started off by spouting pro-Communist propaganda, and I soon had no one but myself to keep my cover. When we got into port, I informed the guards that I was a socialist and they were very nice to me. But I had a job to do, which if they only knew, they would most certainly have had me shot. I went into Dairen proper, with the excuse that I wanted to see a dentist. I had a Mongolian named Mirza as interpreter to accompany me into the city. I noted that there was an air base along the river, but I also noticed a submarine base further down. What no one on board ship ever suspected was that I was on a spying mission. I got quite a few shots from my mini-camera and I must say that there were times when I felt very much alone. But I was dedicated to what I believed was necessary, and that was to get info on Red Chinese military and naval positions.

Story continues below…

ATN ARMY MIL-DOT DAYTIME 16X 65Z SCOPE

One day, funnily enough, members of the Red Chinese Army patrolling a stretch along the river challenged me. I made out that I was lost and, though my heart was in my mouth, I kept a straight face and go away with it. I found that in what I was doing, there could be no friends. They could have unwittingly exposed me, and I would have been shot. I can say this from my personal experience that spying is a lonely job at best. I managed to get quite a bit of information and pass it on to my friend in the U.S. — whether he ever used any of the material I don’t really know. Except that I did keep my promise to him.

In my case, I was not doing it for the glory, but because I believed that whether I liked it or not, we were secretly at war with Red China. It was my duty to do all that could to gather information and send it where it could be used for the defense of the West. Sometimes in life we have to weigh the consequences of our actions, and make on-the-spot decisions on issues that we might make not as ordinary people. In my case, I had a lot of talent to use, which might make the difference between the West and our archenemy Red China. I chose to be a patriot and take a chance, even if it meant that it might cost me life, and I will continue to do whatever I can in this respect. It is not a person’s age that counts, but that he or she puts their lives where it really counts. I am dedicated to democracy and to the West, and I could find no excuse why I would not offer my services in the cause of freedom.

To those who misjudged me, because of my attitude, I offer my regrets. I could not have done otherwise. The risks were too great, but in life as in war, we have to take chances. I had been in training for a long time — since I was a boy in an army camp — and I could now put it to good use.

I have left out the names of persons on the ship etc, in order that they might never come to any harm, and also to those who never knew what I was doing right under their very noses.

AMERICAN FLAG PATCH - 2″ x 3″

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Related: China, Communism / Socialism, History

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