The Good Ship Wharton: When Swarthmore College Trained the Chinese Navy

In the autumn of 1943, the quiet, Quaker-hewn campus of Swarthmore College became an unexpected frontline for international military diplomacy. World War II was raging across two oceans, and the … Continue Reading →

The Savage Plan: The Wartime Blueprint for the Three Gorges Dam

In the autumn of 1944, John L. “Jack” Savage arrived in the rugged interior of wartime China to survey the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. As the chief designing … Continue Reading →

Shanghai Diary (Part 7)

In the fall of 1937, the young American sailor Earl Jackson Clanton was in Shanghai on board the USS Augusta, which was keeping a vigil in the port while Chinese and … Continue Reading →

Shanghai Diary (Part 3)

In October 1937, the young American sailor Earl Jackson Clanton was in Shanghai on board the USS Augusta, which was keeping a vigil in the port while Chinese and Japanese … Continue Reading →

Shanghai Diary (Part 1)

  In October 1937, the young American sailor Earl Jackson Clanton arrived in Shanghai on board the troops transport USS Henderson. He was part of a group reinforcing the crew … Continue Reading →

Eighty Years Ago: Asia Pacific, Dec 31, 1942 – Jan 6, 1943

Dec 31, 1942: At Imperial Conference held in Tokyo, Japanese commanders decide on the withdrawal from Guadalcanal Jan 1, 1943: Commissioning of aircraft carrier USS Essex, the lead ship of … Continue Reading →

Eighty Years Ago: Asia Pacific, Nov 26 – Dec 2, 1942

Nov 26, 1942: ‘Battle of Brisbane’ pitting US military personnel, including military police, against Australian soldiers and civilians. One person is killed, and hundreds injured Nov 27, 1942: Japanese Army’s … Continue Reading →

Eighty Years Ago: Asia Pacific, May 7 – 13, 1942

May 7, 1942: US, Japanese Navies clash in Coral Sea May 8, 1942: Coral Sea battle result in strategic defeat for Japanese side May 9, 1942: Survivors are fished out … Continue Reading →