The Last Marauder
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"The 'Forgotten Theater' of World War Two was the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater. It was forgotten in many ways! It was the last one to get resources, but because of that, there were a lot of innovations that came out of that environment."
The podcast features Mike, a long-term visitor to Burma with deep historical and cultural insights. Mike first visited Burma in 1990, drawn by its distinct lack of exposure to Western tourism at the time. Over the years, as he continued to explore the country, he ventured beyond its well-known locations and tourist spots, increasingly immersing himself in areas that were not widely traveled by foreign visitors. This allowed him to encounter a broader range of Burmese society, including ethnic leaders, resistance members, and others entangled in the complex socio-political fabric of the nation. His experiences gradually shifted from conventional tourism to uncovering some of the more esoteric aspects of Burmese culture, navigating through its off-the-beaten-path locales and engaging with its intricate dynamics.
Mike begins this discussion by delving into an in-depth account of the Burma Front during World War II. The front faced significant logistical and weather-related challenges, and compared to other conflicts in Europe and the Pacific, it was much less reported on during the war, which accounts for its marginalization in World War II narratives. Yet it was an important arena in the fight against Japan, both geographically and tactically; Mike explains how the challenges of the Burma Front spurred such innovative strategies as the use of guerrilla tactics and helicopters to supply troops across inaccessible terrain.
One example was Merrill's Marauders. Named after their leader, General Frank Merrill, they were a U.S. long-range penetration unit in World War II, officially known as the 5307th Composite Unit. Their tactics were significantly influenced by General Orde Wingate, who had earlier organized the Chindits, a similar, British-run long-range penetration unit in Burma; this highlights the continuity of guerilla tactics used behind enemy lines in which Allied forces partnered with ethnic fighters. Mike describes how Merrill's Marauders trekked 750 miles across jungle and mountainous terrain to take control of, and hold, the Myitkyina airfield, a crucial objective for halting Japanese advances. Out of the 2,750 soldiers who started the mission, only 1,300 reached Myitkyina, and by the end, only 130 were combat-fit due to exhaustion, disease, and injury. Yet they took the airfield, which was crucial for maintaining the Allied supply line known as “the Hump,’ situated between India and China. This route enabled vital resources to be transported to support Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces. The success of operations in the region was bolstered by the efforts of the Flying Tigers, an American Volunteer Group that flew missions to protect supply routes and provide critical air support. Their innovative tactics and daring operations became legendary, and contributed significantly to the overall Allied strategy in CBI.
This important mission to take the Myitkyina airfield set the backdrop for the veterans’ poignant return in 1995. Their journey was an emotional experience, allowing veterans to reconnect with the locations where they had fought over 50 years earlier. The military junta had firm control of the country at that time, and although the visit was originally intended as a private one, their tour was co-opted by the regime, which hoped to transform it into a state-sponsored event for propaganda purposes. They wanted to portray themselves as cooperative and internationally respected, despite their brutal rule and being a pariah state.
Mike recalls vivid anecdotes these veterans shared about the harsh conditions they faced during the war—from the exhaustion of carrying supplies through dense jungle, to relying on mules, to the relentless attacks from Japanese forces. One particularly evocative memory involved water-cooled machine guns, which were necessary to avoid overheating during sustained fire in southeast Asia’s humid, sweltering jungle environment: the men needed to use their own urine to cool a gun down when they had no water left.
As the group ventured north to Kachin state, an area of ongoing tension between the military and the region’s ethnic groups, the Burmese military tried to cut their trip short; Mike speculates that this was partly due to their desire to avoid any interactions or observations that might draw attention to those tensions. However, the veterans stood their ground, insisting on visiting the Myitkyina airfield, and the junta eventually relented, realizing that preventing the veterans from visiting the airfield would undermine the their propaganda efforts by creating negative publicity.
While there, Mike recalls one notable event involving a Burmese nurse named Esther. During the war, Esther had worked with the famous Dr. Gordon Seagrave, known as the “Burma Surgeon.” Seagrave and his nurses played a vital role throughout the CBI theater, providing frontline, medical needs under extremely challenging conditions. Seagrave’s nurses, including Esther, had treated many of Merrill's Marauders. To make a long story short, Mike decided to visit Esther—who had been awarded the American Bronze Star for bravery—and invited her to a reunion dinner with the veterans, who were very excited to reconnect with her; many were quite moved to see her after all those years, especially those who had received life-saving treatment from Seagrave’s medical unit. Their military handler, however, was not at all happy about this, and while he couldn’t prevent her from joining the veterans, he did ensure that she was kept out of all official photos of the event. That was the start of an uneasy relationship between the group and their handler.
During the trip, Mike and the veterans came to learn of two separate investigations concerning missing U.S. aircraft from World War II. Each of these situations involved the possibility of identifying MIAs (servicemen and women that are still classified as “missing in action”), and reclaiming their remains. The first investigation stemmed from a 1987 report by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which claimed to have found bone fragments, dog tags, and other remnants tied to a downed U.S. aircraft. Despite the potential significance of this discovery, political complications initially overtook this effort. The U.S. government wanted to avoid even the appearance of legitimizing the Burmese military regime during a period of sanctions, and declined to pursue the matter. Mike recalls the U.S. stance with frustration: “We were not going to give any credit to [the regime],” he recounts, adding, “But these are American soldiers, dead, who we always promise we never leave behind. But we will leave our people behind for politics, right there!”
The second discovery involved a U.S. aircraft found by the Burmese military in 1991 near Lake Kandawgyi. At this crash site were also found bone fragments, dog tags, and pieces of the plane. Despite repeated attempts by the Burmese military to inform the U.S. Embassy and initiate a respectful handover, their overtures went unanswered due to the same political considerations, and the fear that they would use this as a propaganda stunt. Mike, deeply troubled by the U.S. lack of response, worked to locate the families of the crew and pressure the U.S. government into responding. His efforts were bolstered by the intervention of Colonel Don Moran, stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, and Senator John McCain.
Colonel Moran facilitated a meeting between McCain and Khin Nyunt, head of Burmese military intelligence, during one of McCain’s visits to Burma. At this meeting, Khin Nyunt shared the details of the remains, including the artifacts and bone fragments recovered. Senator McCain, leveraging his personal experiences as a POW and his political platform, returned to the United States and advocated for action. His efforts ultimately broke the stalemate, leading to a formal ceremony in Yangon in December of that year. During the ceremony, the remains and artifacts were handed over to U.S. officials with full military honors, including a Marine guard.
Mike still clearly recalls meeting General Khin Nyunt, albeit not fondly. The general was also Secretary-1 of the SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council), formed after the violent suppression of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising to consolidate military control and restore order. Mike describes his discomfort sitting across from Khin Nyunt and individuals like him, who were responsible for the military’s brutal crackdowns. He speaks candidly about the sense of moral tension he felt during the meetings.
Mike also shared his extraordinary encounter with Khin Nyunt’s Bo Dau, or “mystical advisor.” The Bo Dao’s role extended far beyond providing spiritual counsel, however. According to Mike, Khin Nyunt and other top officials placed significant trust in the Bo Dau’s abilities as a mediator between the physical world and other dimensions, and his guidance was instrumental in shaping military strategies and policies, illustrating the profound integration of mysticism into the governance of the regime. Mike described how this belief system was not merely a private affair for leaders like Khin Nyunt, but a powerful tool to legitimize authority and consolidate control within the military. Mike had such disdain for Khin Nyunt’s brutal reign that during the aforementioned meeting, he wanted to leap out of his chair to choke him, but was terrified that maybe the Bo Dau could read his mind, and that he could find himself in grave danger.
Interestingly, Mike had his own transformative experiences with Burma’s weikza tradition, an esoteric path of spiritual wizardry that he is still firmly committed to. Mike acknowledges that that weikza practices can be used for “bad” purposes, such as to gain material or protectional benefits. On the other hand, he explains that the practice can serve as a powerful tool in life, offering solutions to problems that otherwise would not be accessible though typical, human, physical and mental capacities. Mike views Buddhism, which to him includes the weikza path, as a practical aid in daily living. He elaborates on how these spiritual practices and accompanying animistic beliefs have deepened his understanding of life and human connections. “I feel past life connections with the Ta'ang,” he adds. “I've been told in past life I was one of them, I was Ta'ang.” For this reason, he feels a particular calling to help the Ta’ang community in this lifetime.
But he laments that the weikza path is increasingly becoming lost in a modernized Burma; because younger generations dismiss it as superstition, the tradition’s aging masters of magical inscriptions, incantations and alchemic concoctions—which are essential to the weikza path—lack young apprentices to learn and carry on their practice. To Mike, it would be a huge spiritual and cultural loss if the weikza and other mystical traditions, that can serve as such profound tools for personal guidance and exploring dimensions beyond the physical world, were to fade away from a developing Burma. In sum, although he critiques the military’s use of mysticism to maintain power, he cherishes the spiritual heritage that shapes Burma’s identity, and mourns its decline.
For Mike, Burma has been a place of deep personal transformation, where history, spirituality, and human relationships intersect in profound and often unexpected ways.
"The thing is, see things as they really are, and then act with skillful action," Mike says, urging listeners to strip away biases and conditioned perspectives to truly understand Burma's complex realities. "Stop it! You have colored glasses on through a conditioned mind, and you're making wrong decisions about Burma and everything else, and what is Myanmar, and so we have to do is clear that conditioned mind and see things as we are and deal with things right there."
If you enjoyed this episode, consider checking out related past podcast shows from our platform:
· Wes Kingsley shares how his extensive experience in the military and the CIA, including assignments in Southeast Asia, shaped his perspective on conflict resolution and the role of international diplomacy. His insights into military operations and international cooperation, particularly regarding US involvement in Southeast Asia, inform the challenges of foreign intervention in Myanmar and the complexities of balancing diplomatic strategies with the realities of conflict.
· Robert Lyman talks about his research into the Burma Campaign during World War II, particularly the role of the Naga people and the broader, strategic efforts of the Allied powers in Southeast Asia. He highlights the significance of international cooperation, especially between American, British, and local ethnic groups, in resisting Japanese forces, and underscores the complex legacy of these events for present-day Myanmar.
· Scot Marciel discusses his experience as a US ambassador to Myanmar during the transition period, noting the limitations of diplomacy when dealing with an uncooperative, military regime. He reflects on the failure of typical diplomatic approaches in Myanmar, particularly the lack of meaningful dialogue with the military.
· Jiri Sitler describes his diplomatic work in Myanmar as the Czech Ambassador, including his support for the pro-democracy movements. He explains how his efforts were driven by the shared historical experiences of Czechoslovakia and Myanmar in overcoming totalitarian regimes.
· Kenton Clymer delves into his extensive research on the history of U.S.-Burma relations, revealing the complex dynamics of American diplomacy vis-à-vis Burma since World War II. His insights highlight the evolving U.S. stance, especially during key moments like Burma's struggle for independence, the Cold War, and the shifting dynamics after 1988, and illustrate how U.S. priorities—ranging from anti-communism to human rights—shaped its approach to the Burmese government and its military leadership.