 The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated stations present the Pacific story. In the mounting fury of world conflict, events in the Pacific are taking on ever greater importance. Here is the story of the Pacific and the millions of people who live around this greatest feat. The drama of the people whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War. Here, as another public service, is the tale of the war in the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. China's Little Devils. They want to see you. Did not you tell them to go home a couple of days ago? They have no home. They are orphaned. They have been following us for two days now? Yes, Father. We cannot have them following us. Bring them over, Sun. Yes, Father. Sun brought the two boys in, ragged, undernourished youngsters with solemn faces. Unafraid, they stood before the officer of the Chinese Red Army. You want to go with us? Yes, we want to join your army. How old are you? I am 13 and Yang Fasheng here is 12. The army is no place for you. I can blow the bugle. I can read and write and I can help. You are children. You do not belong here. We will do anything if you will let us go with you. What is your name? I am one called Yang Fasheng and I can blow the bugle. And you? I am one called Lo Tai Chun. Your soldiers have been kind to us. They have given us food. All winter, we had almost no food. What do you think, Sun? The army can be no worse than the lives they are living. Besides, they have no parents and no home and nowhere to go. If you will let us go along, we will help you. We can do many things for you. This was in Jiangxi province. The Red Army was on its way to the northwest. And when it moved on, the two boys moved with it. And along the line of march, other children joined the army. They became known as the Little Devils. And they wrote their names in deeds of valorant heroism and blood in China's struggle for life. Your duty is not to fight but to serve. To help behind the lines. This was the order. You must learn all you can so that when your time comes to fight, you will be able to fight better. Behind the lines, the children were sent to school. Whenever this could be managed. They also were taught to perform certain duties. I am to help teach men and women. I am to be an actor, to show the people the right thing to do. And I am to be a spy. These were the duties of Loh Tai-chung, the 13-year-old. I am to be an orderly and a guide and a bugler. These were the duties of 12-year-old Yang Fasheng. Still, others were to be water carriers, medical assistants, radio operators. They became as much a part of the army as the soldiers who did the fighting. Enemy bombers are coming! Air raids! Into the shelters! Everyone! Enemy bombers coming! Air raids! Air raids! Enemy bombers! When the raid was over and the fires had burned themselves out, the little devils were busy making the most of the situation. Pick up all the good pieces of charcoal. That is it. All the pieces that can be used for writing. Soon, the people of the village were reading words, written in charcoal on the buildings and on the town walls. What do those words say? They say, down with the Japanese. Down with the Japanese? Yes. Down with the Japanese. Look at this, written on the walls. Do not help the enemy in any way. Do not act as guides for the enemy. Yes, and look at this. It says, freedom is our right. We must fight for it. Lowell posted himself at the village well with his slate. On his slate, he wrote the word G, spelled J-I-H. Hello, old one. Do you wish some water? Yes, a bucket of it, my boy. Teacher says, before you can have a bucket of water, you must learn this character on my slate. I have no time for that. I must get the water. No, you must learn this character first. Then I will help you. I have no time for that. This character means something that you see every day. And it is very important. Without it, we would have no food. What is it? It is G, J-I-H. And it means the sun. The sun? That means Japan. Yes. G means the sun, and it means Japan too. Down with Japan. I see. This means down with Japan. That is right. Now I shall help you get your bucket of water. Yes, down with Japan. There was your bucket of water, old one. Yes, thank you, my boy. No, no, where is Yang Fai Shang? I will look for him. He has wanted his headquarters at once to go on a mission. Yang, you know the hills and valleys around here very well. Yes, Mr. Paul. The Japanese are just beyond those hills. Yes, I know. Three of our officials must be guided through the Japanese lines in the dark tonight. Can you do it, Yang? Yes, I can do it. And get back yourself? Alone? I think so. The 12-year-old Yang led the Chinese officials through the darkness, through the woods and over the hills, through the Japanese lines. Now this is the path. Stay on it and bear to the right. In another hour, it will be dawn, and then you will be able to see better in the light. Can you get back through the Japanese lines, Yang? Yes, I know the way. Yang had one hour before dawn to get through the Japanese lines. Weirdly, he slipped through the woods, alert to every movement. The trees and underbrush became silhouettes as daylight drew near. Oh, oh, oh, oh, god, dad! Yang ducked into the brush. Stand up, stand where you are. Yang's heart thumped. There's the Japanese sentry approached. He scurried off into the bushes. What are you shooting at someone in the bushes right over there come, but let's see if we hit There he is right down there under that bush. It was a Chinese boy Put that rifle down. Yes, sir Get up on your feet What are you doing out here? Where are your parents? I have no parents. I Went over the hill to look for some food You know this country around here. Yes, sir. The Japanese were lost There were 19 in the party officers and men you know where the Japanese headquarters are Yes, sir We will give you food if you guide us there Can you do that? Yang led them through a winding course through valleys and over hills The century kept his rifle on him if you should lay that's the wrong way You will not read he walked doggedly ahead the Japanese trailed out behind him This does not look like the vicinity of our headquarters We are coming through it from the back if I had of us out in front of us They plotted on Yang guided them not toward the Japanese headquarters, but toward the village where the Chinese were bewacked in The village soon came hurriedly to Fong. I saw him with my field glasses Yang's a boy leading a Japanese patrol here toward the village in their field glasses They saw the boy and the Japanese behind him They saw the rifle of the century at the boy's back quickly We will ambush them as they come through the gully give the order soon. Yes fall in with rifles and machine gun Quickly they moved out of the village out over the familiar terrain and deployed along the sides of the gully Yang knew that if the Chinese in the village did not discover him and the approaching Japanese before they got out of the gully That the Japanese would then recognize that they were being led into a trap Yang walked stolidly ahead so not get so far ahead wait. Yes, sir. He led them down into the gully Where does this take us? You have done a great service we killed 12 of the Japanese and captured six others Then one escaped there were 19 Yes, but our greatest fear was that they might shoot you I throw myself down under a bush when the shooting started You have done very well. Now. I have another mission for you for you and low Thai shun Yes, sir. It is in Hong Foo the next village. Yes, sir. Here is low Thai shun Yes, low Thai shun I have a mission for you and young in Hong Foo if it is within our power We will do it. Is it not so Yang? Yes, the chairman of the white sweet and Hong Foo is collaborating with the enemy You will go to Hong Foo with grenades and destroy him. Yes, sir Yang and low made their way to the next village under cover of darkness. They traced the white sweet chairman to a tea house They waited for him on the stairs He comes here every day to drink tea. Have you got your grenades ready? I have them in my hands under my shirt Look here he comes with two other men. Do not look at them wait until they pass us up the stairs We must all be realistic about the condition of our country. Our best course is to work with the Japanese Ready? Yes. Now. Throw them Come on now. Run down the stairs and get over there. The whole front of the tea shop is full This is the boy that read the patrol into the enemy trap. I? What trap? We know nothing about a trap. He is the one that one there Take them to headquarters. The two boys were locked up with the village magistrate Yang Chang For days they waited the old magistrate counseled with the boys if you try to escape We'll only make it harder for our people who are left behind here in the village I have found out how to open the door. Oh, there is always a guard outside Yes, but at night instead of being a Japanese guard It is one of the Chinese who are working with the Japanese and sometimes at night. He does this They waited days more they watched the puppet Chinese guard relieve the Japanese guard They waited until the Chinese guard had dozed off now Quickly the door is open if they catch up flying to escape. They were go as we have planned The magistrate and Yang slipped out into the night Low slipped up to the Chinese puppet guard who was seated on a box sleeping See what you have done. See I'm change the magistrate has run away Escaped. Oh the door is open. Yes, and see the cell is empty. Oh, I must no no do not call the guard Shall I do what shall I do listen to me? It will be hard for you to report to your commander when they find out what you have done You will get your head chopped. Yes Why didn't I better run away with me to my partisan unit? Yes, and so we will have protection along the way You had better open the other cells too. So the rest of the prisoners can go with us. No, I cannot What can you tell them about the magistrate running away? Oh, I do not know here. Let me take your keys You go ahead. Go on. I will let out the others For now it was known that soon the Japanese would be on the move in force and the children as well as the Older Chinese knew that they must stay together and work together The Japanese are searching around in the hills. They're getting very close to our hidden arsenal go and warn the men in the shops to stop Work and hide all their machinery. I mean over our radio receiver The Japanese are getting ready to attack us. We are not strong enough to withstand their attack We must make all preparations to move The rebels watched every move of the Japanese They watched them from the hills in the woods in the valleys and even in the villages Little Yang watched all night from the top of the hill commanding the plane below At the break of day, he saw the Japanese approaching and he gave the warning He knew that the Chinese would be warned and he also knew that the approaching Japanese would hear it Do you hear that the bugle call sergeant? Oh, yes, sir. It is a Chinese bugle call. They have discovered our advance Yes, sir. They are probably already on the move That bugle call may be a signal for the Chinese to advance on us and attack us And attack us before we reach Chichi. Oh, they would not attack unless they were stronger than we are that is right They must have an overwhelming force Give the order retreat Japanese currently retreated from the hill tops the Chinese watched the column turn infantrymen armored cars tanks and all and head back for their stronghold But Fong knew that they would return they will bring up reinforcements and then assault us We are not strong enough to repulse even the force that has just turned back We must move out as quickly as we can but all of us cannot get out in time if we are to take supplies with us We must take our supplies. It is all we have. Yes, sir. We will start moving at once They will attack after dark. We will leave only a rear guard to delay them the evacuation started Supplies all they had were loaded on carts and on the few trucks available Everything that could be carried was taken. Everything that could be a value to the enemy was destroyed The Chinese moved out. Lo and Yang and the other children watched from the hill Night fell and they looked down into a sea of blackness By now most of the Chinese had left Chichi Ayao Lo stood alone on one hill. A mile away Yang stood alone on another. His bugle under his arm They are coming. They are coming Distant hill. Lo heard Yang's bugle call I can hear them. I must run back to the village Down the hill in the black of night through the woods through the gullies across the plain into the village Lo ran The Japanese are coming. Yes, I heard Yang's bugle Zoom, Zoom. Where are you? Hear Yang. Hear over here. The Japanese are coming I heard many men coming through the valley and many engines too Then they are bringing armored cars and tanks Can we hold them off soon? We must hold them off until morning Else they will overtake and destroy the main body of our soldiers Are you afraid? No. We are not afraid What can we do to help? There are not enough rifles to go around But you can throw grenades. Can you not? Yes. Yes. We can throw grenades Good. That is good. Come. I will give you grenades. There is no time for loophies They waited. And at last through the blackness came the sound of the approaching Japanese The Chinese held their fire. The boys climbed up on the village wall Grenades in hand and waited Now keep down until they are close enough to hit with the grenades Yes, Zoom. I am ready All hurled the grenades. The Japanese withdrew They will come in at daybreak All the guns and ammunition were hidden The soldiers disposed of their uniforms and put on peasants clothes When the Japanese came in, they did not find one soldier If that one Japanese sergeant is here, he will recognize me Maybe he is one of those we killed What are you talking about? Nothing, sir. We were just talking about the big guns on your tanks Where are these soldiers? The ones who fought us all night You there? They are gone. They went down that long road into the hills We will see. You there You mean me, sir? Yes, you. Where are these men? Who are these men we have lined up here before you? Our fathers and uncles and cousins Then pick out the ones that are your parents and relatives Yes, sir. That one. That is my father You there. Tap out of the line Is this boy your son? Yes, he is my son. Yang Fosheng What was the date of his birth? Quick! The date of his birth I have had so many children Six. No, no seven He was born in the month of April In the year 1931 All right. Boy, pick out your uncle That one there. That is my uncle, Chiao Tap out of the line How are you related to this man who caught himself the father of this boy? I am married to his sister One by one, the Chinese soldiers, disguised as peasants were picked out by Yang and Blow and the other boys All of the soldiers at last were claimed Captain, you're okay, sir We have searched the village and we have found no guns and no ammunition Then the soldiers must have gone and these people are peasants Yes, sir We will leave a platoon here to hold this village We will pursue the Chinese bandits until we overtake and destroy them As the Japanese collar moved down, down the road through the hills the Chinese and the village looked down Lo, Lo and Yang, come here Yes, sir. Yes, what is it, sir? Yang, you know they shortcut through the woods to the place where Fong and our soldiers have gone? Yes, I know it well Could you slip away from the guards here and go quickly through the woods and tell Fong that the Japanese are coming? Yes, sir. I could do that I will help you get out of the village and Lo I will need you here with me Yes, sir We will stay here and tonight we will destroy these Japanese guards Then we will leave and join Fong You must tell Fong this Yang Yes, sir Now we must help you slip out of the village Yang slipped out of the village and struck out through the woods that he knew so well In the village, Lo and the other little devils ministered to the wounded under the sharp eyes of the Japanese They helped prepare the evening food The Japanese guard stood over them The guards seemed to be everywhere When the evening meal was finished, Sun called Lo You must keep the guard busy You see, Lo? Yes, I can do it with my sleigh Good. Good. Then while you are keeping him busy we will set fire to the big house and when it begins to blaze up we can then get our guns during the excitement After we have our guns, we can do the rest Lo Tai Chung with his sleigh and crayon ambled up to the Japanese guard Stop where you are Yes, sir Can you show me something, please? I can show you nothing. I'm on duty Go now I am just learning to write I am very eager to learn When you show me how to write Sun in Japanese No, I cannot show you how to write anything, boy Go now, quick I can write Sun in Chinese Here, take my crayon and write Sun in Japanese Would you please? Is it like this? No, no, it's not like that Here, take my crayon and show me Right here on my sleigh so I can study it and learn to write it as you write it The Japanese guard put down his rifle leaned it against his shoulder took the sleigh and the crayon It is like this There, there it is Is that the word Sun in Japanese? It is different, very different from Chinese Is it not? What is that? Oh, the big house is on fire The big house is on fire How did that catch fire? What's not in it on fire? Oh, no, the whole house is being burned up Look at the fire The Japanese kill every one of them How did this fire get started right under your nose while you were here on guard? I don't know I just stopped to show this boy how to write on his sleigh He was sent here to take your attention while the fire was stopping Now the Chinese all have guns Oh, that's why you asked me to show you how to write It was only to... Where are you? Where are you? Oh Pachung, my boy My poor boy My poor, poor boy Meantime, miles away Yang was making his way through the woods across the hills, through the valleys He knew every mile of the way He passed the familiar landmarks one by one Now he was nearing the edge of the woods Two miles more, and he would reach Fong Oh, oh, for God's sake It was the same Japanese sentry who had captured him that first time and whom he had seen before he and Lo Pachung blew up the chairman at the tea house Oh, that's where you are Yang zigzagged through the brush, kept on going Oh, that's where you are He dragged himself into a thicket He lay there bleeding until the Japanese sentry had moved away, searching for him Then Yang dragged himself to his feet And in the darkness, walked and staggered and crawled the last two miles to Fong Sun sent me to tell you The Japanese with that tank are coming Many of them very strong They are coming Where our Sun and the others did not the Japanese take the village? They took the village You must leave his poor, thin body here in his mother earth We shall leave now But neither he nor Lo Pachung shall be forgotten We shall come back, Yang Fachang We shall come back Back into the hills The Japanese with their tanks and armored cars rumbled into the place they expected to catch the Chinese and everywhere, on the hilltops and in the woods the Chinese little devils were watching And through these children soon again made contact with Fong And around and behind the Japanese the Chinese soldiers made ready as they have done all through this war to strike again, to harry the enemy and at last to destroy him Yang Fachang and Lo Pachung were real Chinese boys They were part of the corps of little devils that have served the Chinese armed forces through these years of China's agony as they served thousands of other boys and girls too are serving China today It was by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations as a public service to clarify events from the Pacific and to make understandable the cross-currents of life in the Pacific Basin A reprint of the Pacific Story Program is available at the cost of 10 cents Send 10 cents in stamps or coins to University of California Press Berkeley, California We repeat, a reprint of the Pacific Story Program is available at the cost of 10 cents Send 10 cents in stamps or coins to University of California Press Berkeley, California Arnold Marquess, the original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Peluso Your narrator, Gaine Whitman This program came to you from Hollywood This is the National Broadcasting Company