SECRET OF WEIFANG

About the Book

Assigned to Army Intelligence, Hannon reported Japanese installations and airfields.  His last mission, as part of six-man team, he parachuted into a cornfield opposite the main gate of a Japanese Prison Camp holding 1500 Allied men, women and prisoners.  Due to the Chinese Civil War, the rescue team was unable to move the prisoners.  Hannon and two Sergeants remained in Camp where the C.O. and two others left for Tsingtao, a port city of the Yellow Sea.  A near moribund lady prisoner, unidentified, known as ‘the Yank’, held Hannon’s interest.  His efforts to identify her were remarkably successful with indisputable confirmation by Nationalist Governor General Wi Li, Nationalist Army General Kumtwing, Communist Army General Chan Tze, Chinese interpreter Johnny Wung and several camp prisoners, he determined her identity was the American lady flyer, Amelia Earhart.

Altogether, Weifang Prison Camp offered diverse social and spiritual groups, predominately British and American, packed into a few walled acres revealed strength and weakness inherent in that diverse society.  Many books have been written about the disappearance of the legendary Earhart; this book, written by a first person eyewitness, is basically, exactly that.  Author James Jess Hannon lived the above account and was heroically successful in liberating the prisoners of Weifang.

About the Author

James Jess Hannon enlisted in the U.S. Army 9 May 1942, honorably discharged 26 March 1946.  As a reserve officer he was ordered to Fort Riley, Kansas to attend the first class at the Army Intelligence College, graduating with honors.  War wounds from service in European and Pacific Theaters resulted in 100% totally disabled classification by the Veteran’s Administration.  As Parachute Infantry Officer, he served in Morocco, Algiers, becoming a Prisoner of War after capture in Italy.  Held in a series of German Prison Camps, he escaped from Oflag 64, Schubin, Poland in 1945, made his way across Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, rescued in Cluj, Romania, returned home, asked to go to Pacific Theater by General George Marshall, worked behind Japanese Lines rescuing downed pilots and liberated 1500 Allied Japanese Prisoners.  Mr. Hannon is the author of three published novels.