Interview by Daniel Jackson and Kun Shi, August 10, 2017

Pei Haiqing, from Sichuan. Now living near Liuku alongside the Nujiang.

What do you remember of the day the airplane crashed? How did you come to be of aid in the rescue?

It tumbled down in the river. I was alone by the riverside, so I pulled him out.

Where did you take him?

I didn’t take him from here. Other rescuers came to take him away.

When you pulled him out, was the pilot injured?

He had minor injuries. I also found his ring and returned it to him.

Who came and took the pilot from you? Was it a group? Government officials? Guerrillas? Army?

I cannot remember where they sent him.

Do you remember who came to pick him up?

I don’t remember, but it was not far. It’s near here. [Mr. Fu said it was the Nationalist forces guarding the river]

Did you see a lot of air attacks in this area?

I could not recognize whether they were American or not. I saw many planes go by, but they didn’t drop bombs here.

Did they drop bombs across the river?

Not here, but the other side.

Living here, with the Japanese on the other side, how did that affect the livelihood of this village and his family?

Before, I served in the expeditionary armed forces. But then I came here to be a fisherman. I don’t remember the year I came here. I didn’t go to Burma. I fought around the Tengchong area and in Guangxi as well.