"HURRY, Hurry! The Japanese planes are coming!" shouted the army captain at the top of his voice to his soldiers as they crossed the long rickety bamboo suspension bridge.
It was creaking so loudly and swaying wildly thanks to the strong gusty wind and the weight of hundreds of Chinese soldiers lugging their heavy weapons.
Due to incessant attacks by the invading Japanese army during World War 2, the Chinese army had to retreat into the big mountains of Yunnan province in southern China.
The long bamboo suspension bridge was crucial to their war plans, namely deep strategic withdrawal and rapid re-organisation before launching into counter-attacks.
However, the bridge turned out to be an easy target for the Japanese warplanes.
Almost instantly, they began swooping low and started strafing the Chinese soldiers before bombing the bridge.
Dozens of soldiers were killed instantly while many others fell to their death in the deep and swirling turbulence of the wild river below.
Among the soldiers crossing the bridge was 20-year-old Lieutenant Tan Chee See from Malaya.
Although Tan had initially lost his balance and almost fell into the river, his quick reflex helped him to reach out and grab onto the bridge.
With one hand gripping the rattan rope, he used the other to shoot at the approaching Japanese plane with his rifle.
Despite his brave attempts, it proved to be a futile exercise as the planes were too fast for him.
After what felt like an eternity, the Japanese planes departed, leaving devastation in their wake. Scores of soldiers drowned or perished, and many others were wounded.
Despite their agony, Tan and the surviving Chinese soldiers eventually crossed the bridge safely. However, the haunting scenes and cries of his fallen comrades would forever remain etched in Tan's memory.
HUMBLE ROOTS
Tan Chee See was born in Kelantan in 1923. As with most Hainanese men, his father worked as a chef to a British manager of a rubber plantation before the war.
However, the former was dismissed for defending a Malay satay trader who was bullied by his British boss over a financial dispute. As a result, Tan's father had to face financial difficulties.
However, the heavens must have been smiling as it wasn't long before his father met and married his mother, who hailed from a wealthy Thai family. Her family's handsome dowry helped Tan's father to venture into various businesses. However, due to a close relative's gambling loss, he had to eventually declare bankruptcy.
On hearing that Tan had to drop out of secondary school, his uncle volunteered to pay for his fees.
To save money, the young boy had to walk to school for 90 minutes daily each way. All this walking ended up giving him a pair of strong legs, crucial assets during his battalion's retreat across the mountains in China later.
FROM MALAYA TO CHINA
In 1938, China was in the grip of its resistance war against the Japanese invaders. Soon, the Republic of China consulate in Singapore published an advertisement to recruit cadets for its Huangpu Military Academy in Guangdong province. The cadets at this military academy were trained personally by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of the Nationalist Kuomintang Party.
The Rape of Nanking and other Japanese atrocities in China had infuriated millions of people around the world.
This was especially so for Tan as he had inherited the same moral righteousness from his father.
Driven by utter outrage over Japanese brutalities, Tan didn't hesitate to sign up with the Huangpu Military Academy.
Despite the fact that he was under age, Tan topped the admission examination conducted in Singapore. He was duly selected to be the student leader among the 500 students, all of whom were bright and upright young men from Malaya and Singapore.
During the journey, Tan took time to cultivate a strong bond with his fellow students, a crucial advantage which helped to save his life and comrades later.
After a few excruciating weeks over narrow and tortuous jungle roads, they finally arrived at the Huangpu Military Academy in China. Before Tan and his friends could settle down in Huangpu, they had to swiftly relocate to Yishan in Guangxi province due to the incessant ruthless attacks by the Japanese army.
After a few months, they had to evacuate again, undertaking a long and arduous trek across the mountainous border into northern Burma to evade Japanese attacks.
WILD CROSSINGS
In order to cross the Burmese-Chinese border, Tan and his comrades had to trek tirelessly across mountains and wild terrain with only straw sandals on their feet. They didn't have the luxury of rest or sleep as they had to move mostly under the cover of darkness to avoid Japanese air patrols.
The cold snowy mountain weather also didn't help as they were issued cotton army uniforms only with no warm clothing. Often, they had little or no food. The snow mountain peaks offered a beautiful view, but they had no time to appreciate it as survival was the most important agenda of the day.
During the war in China, Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek had placed all Chinese soldiers, probably including Tan and his regiment, under the command of legendary United States Army General Joseph Stilwell who was serving as his chief of staff. As a hands-on leader, Stilwell had personally led his soldiers across these tough Burmese mountains.
Although it was tempting to travel by truck on the legendary Burma Road, Stilwell and his troops had to avoid using it due to the danger posed by patrolling Japanese planes (1). This came after Stilwell rejected an airlift offer from the commander of "Flying Tigers" General Claire Lee Chennault (2).
Despite enduring harsh conditions and relentless Japanese attacks, Tan survived the war, unlike thousands of Chinese troops who perished in the treacherous mountains. Following Japan's surrender, a bitter civil war ensued between Communist leader Mao Tse Tung and Generalissimo Chiang's Kai Shek's forces.
Preferring not to be embroiled in internal conflict, Tan decided to return to Malaya due to his deep longing for family.
EMERGENCY WAR IN MALAYA
However, Tan's hope of returning to a peaceful Malaya and rebuilding his life was swiftly dashed.
Shortly after his return, the Colonial British administration declared an Emergency nationally in response to the rising violence by communist guerillas in June 1948, thrusting him back into conflict once more.
During the Emergency, Kinta Valley in Perak was a hot bed of communist activities. The tin mines and rubber estates were under constant attacks by the communist insurgents. Hundreds of British soldiers were killed during this dark and dangerous period. The Last Post could be heard almost every week at God's Little Acre, a Commonwealth war cemetery in Batu Gajah.
With his battle-hardened background, Tan was quickly drafted into the colonial government's Home Guard and promoted to major to command a unit in Kampar district, Perak.
Besides the heavy administrative work, he also had to conduct daily patrols with his men in their jeeps.
In one of his sorties, he narrowly escaped death after being ambushed, though some of his British and Malayan colleagues weren't as fortunate. On another occasion, he had a close call when a guerilla's shot narrowly missed him.
Shortly after these harrowing experiences, Tan was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and assigned as a commander of the Melaka Home Guard unit.
DOING THE COUNTRY PROUD
Tan's impressive skills were noticed by the British colonial army and he was commissioned as an officer in the Federation Regiment (later renamed as the First Recce Regiment in 1960). After completing his company commander course in the United Kingdom, he led a squadron from his First Recce Regiment to Congo in Africa in 1962 as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
Following the assassination of Congolese president Patrice Lumumba, the country fell into civil war, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths.
In addition to maintaining military security, Tan faced the challenge of adapting to Congo's distinct climate and culture. Despite the volatile military environment, his squadron performed admirably, earning widespread respect. Tan's leadership brought honour to Malaysia on the international stage.
Recognising his excellent contribution, Tan was duly promoted to commander of the First Recce Regiment, based in Sungai Udang in Melaka on Nov 1, 1963. He was specially selected to replace his British commanding officer Lt-Col Mullard, who returned to Britain after his retirement.
After months of intensive training, he led an impressive parade during the presentation of colours ceremony in Melaka, which was attended by many local and foreign dignitaries.
Having successfully completed his duty with the First Recce Regiment, Tan was promoted to commandant officer of the Wataniah camp in Ipoh. His unit was responsible for training defence force officers and soldiers in Malaysia. He also travelled extensively overseas to learn and apply the best practices for his trainees back home.
HAPPY RETIREMENT
After giving his life to defending the nation for 30 years, Tan finally retired from the Malaysian army in 1975.
Today, he spends his time with his wife visiting his children, relatives and friends around the country and overseas.
To achieve peace, Tan courageously faced death on the battlefield. His steadfast courage and resilience stand as a testament to his unwavering commitment to justice and triumph over adversity. A staunch advocate for peace and harmony in our diverse nation, his life serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices endured during our tumultuous history.
Gary Lit Ying Loong is a retired academic from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. He's presently a visiting professor to some universities in Asia and Europe. Reach him at garylit33@gmail.com
NOTE 1
The Burma Road, connecting Lashio in north Burma to Kunming in southwest China, was built by the British between 1937 and 1938 to supply China during the second Sino-Japanese war. After Japanese forces drove the British out of Burma in 1942, the United States army began building a road from Ledo in Assam, India, to Mong Yu town in Burma, where it connected to the original Burma Road. This Ledo Road was later renamed Stilwell Road after General Joseph Stilwell, who led its construction.
As construction progressed, the road had greatly aided the war against Japanese forces in Burma. The connection between India and China through the Stilwell and Burma Roads were finally completed in early 1945.
Despite facing daily attacks from Japanese planes and negotiating dangerous narrow mountainous passes, an estimated three thousand men from Malaya volunteered as truck drivers ferrying war supplies from Burma to China. Almost half of these brave men perished in the end.
NOTE 2
The bitter dispute between the two headstrong US Generals led to Stilwell's Due to Stilwell's clashes with many commanders, Generalissimo Chiang eventually requested United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt to replace him in late 1944.