Felix Smith ya tashi da "Hump" a kan Himalayas a lokacin yakin duniya na biyu, ya haɗu tare da shugaban Tigers Flying Tigers a baya bayan yakin kasar Sin kuma shekaru da yawa yana tuka jirgin sama don abin da zai zama Air America na CIA a China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam da Laos - ana harbi da kyau akai-akai a cikin tsari.
Ya auri jikar sarkin Okinawa na karshe kuma daga baya ya zama darektan aiyuka na South Pacific Island Airways a Hawaii.
Watakila ba abin mamaki ba ne, lokacin da Smith ya watse daga wani jami'in tsaron gabar teku da ke Oahu a makon da ya gabata, cewa wani tsohon jami'in CIA, wani matukin jirgin sama na Air America, wani gwarzon jirgin yakin duniya na biyu da kuma wasu mutane masu ban sha'awa.
"A'a. 1, shi mutum ne mai ban mamaki - mai ban mamaki don kasancewa a kusa. Kuma babban ma'aikacin jirgin sama, "in ji abokin da ya daɗe kuma matukin jirgi Glen Van Ingen, wanda ya san Smith tun daga ƙarshen 1960s kuma ya tashi zuwa Air America.
"Idan ka zo daga wani karamin gari a Wisconsin kuma kana son ganin duniya, ba za ka iya yin aiki mafi kyau ba," in ji Van Ingen, 86, na Smith.
Smith ya mutu a ranar 3 ga Oktoba, 2018, a Milwaukee yana da shekaru 100. Aboki Clark Hatch, wanda ke zaune a Honolulu, ya ce fatansa na karshe shi ne a warwatse tokarsa a cikin Pacific a kusa da Hawaii.
Matarsa, Junko Smith, ta ce mijinta ya sami "lokaci mafi kyau" yana zaune a Hawaii tsawon shekaru 21, tun daga ƙarshen 1970s.
Ya "son Hawaii," in ji ta bayan hidimar tunawa a cikin jirgin mai yankan bakin teku Oliver Berry."(Ya ce kullum) gidansa na Hawaii ne, mun yi rayuwa mai kyau da kyau a Hawaii."
Lt. cmdr.Kenneth Franklin, kwamandan mai yankan, a lokacin, ya ce, "Felix Smith ya yi hidima ga kasar, kuma masu tsaron gabar teku suna alfahari da girmama rayukan wadanda suka yi wa kasa hidima."
Smith ya ba da labarin rayuwarsa ta tashi -- abubuwan ban sha'awa na duniya da kasada -- a cikin littafinsa, "Matukin jirgi na kasar Sin: Flying for Chennault during the Cold War."Ya fara tashi ne don zirga-zirgar jiragen sama na farar hula, wanda ya zama wani ɓangare na CIA's Air America.
Hukumar leken asirin ta yanke shawarar cewa tana bukatar karfin jigilar jiragen sama a Asiya, kuma a cikin 1950 ta sayi kadarorin sufurin jiragen sama a asirce.
Wani manajan jirgin sama na "CAT" ya bayyana cewa matukin jirgi ba za su ambaci CIA da suna ba kuma a maimakon haka yakamata su koma ga wakilai a matsayin "abokan ciniki."
A lokacin yakin Koriya, an shirya Smith zai tashi zuwa Saipan.Lokacin da ya isa sansanin sojojin sama na Andersen da ke Guam, wani babban sojan sama ya zare Jeep dinsa ya tsaya ya ce, "Me kake yi a nan?"Smith ya fada a cikin littafinsa.
"Kafin in ƙirƙiro amsa mai mutuntawa, wani mai ɗauke da makamai ya taso da fararen hula kusan 15 sanye da rigar aloha ko khaki na fili, huluna mai gallon 10, kwalkwali na rana ko babu huluna, takalman kawaye, takalman roba ko takalman wasan tennis," ya rubuta.
A cikin jirgin da ya dawo, Smith ya tashi fasinjoji tara da suka rufe ido -- dukkan 'yan kasar Sin da aka horar da su a matsayin 'yan leƙen asiri - da kuma "abokan ciniki" uku.Karar iskan da take ta ruga a cikin dakin ta shaida masa an bude babbar kofar da aka rufe.
"Ban ce komai ba sai dai na lura, bayan saukar jirgin, fasinjoji takwas ne kawai suka sauka. Ina tsammanin abokan cinikinmu sun gano wakili biyu," Smith ya rubuta.
A karshen yakin duniya na biyu, Smith ya kasance matukin jirgi tare da Hukumar Kula da Jiragen Sama ta kasar Sin da ke aiki karkashin rundunar sojojin Amurka.
Janar Claire Chennault, wanda ke bayan Flying Tigers, gungun matukan jirgin sa kai na Amurka da suka yaki Jafanawa a kasar Sin, sun fara zirga-zirgar jiragen sama na farar hula don biyan bukatun kasar Sin bayan yakin.
An yi hayar Smith, kuma a cikin 1946 ya tashi zuwa Hawaii don ɗaukar rarar jiragen sama don fara jirgin sama.
"Lokacin da muka isa filin Wheeler, mun kalli wata makabarta inda jirage suka je suka mutu," in ji shi a cikin littafinsa."Mu 15 Curtis C-46s yayi kama da ruɓaɓɓen giwaye."
CAT ta yi aiki tare da jam'iyyar kishin kasa ta kasar Sin karkashin jagorancin Chiang Kai-Shek.A wani misali a kan ayyuka da yawa, Smith ya yi gwajin iska na tagulla na tagulla don kwandon harsashi da shinkafa zuwa cikin Taiyuan na kasar Sin yayin da rundunar sojojin Red Army ta rufe.
"An ɗauki fasfo da yawa don fitar da duk shinkafar. Jajayen ƙwallayen golf --masu gano bindiga -- sun lanƙwasa a ƙasan mu," ya rubuta.
CAT ta kai bullar azurfa ta Bankin China zuwa Hong Kong kafin Chiang ya mayar da Taiwan kujerar jam'iyyar Kuomintang.
Jack DeTour, mazaunin Honolulu da matukin jirgi na yakin duniya na II B-25, ya tuna haduwa da Smith lokacin da tsohon ya tashi zuwa Philippines don horar da matukan jirgin CAT akan C-119 "Flying Boxcar" don taimakawa Faransanci a Vietnam.
"Na sanya Felix a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin matukin jirgi mafi kyau da na taɓa bincikawa," in ji DeTour, wanda ke kan ma'aikacin Guard Coast don hidimar tunawa.
Smith ya tashi jirgin C-47 a ciki da waje daga Vientiane a Laos zuwa kauyukan Hmong inda makamai suka hada da bakuna da manyan bindigogi.A cikin jirgin daya ya yi jigilar gurneti ga sojojin masarauta, da kuma wani shinkafa na Hukumar Raya Kasa da Kasa ta Amurka.
A cikin littafinsa na 1995, Smith ya rubuta cewa "a baya a cikin aikace-aikacen Yamma, shekaru da yawa daga 'Alice in Wonderland's' topsy-turvy domain, Ina tunawa da wutsiyoyinsu na baya-baya, ina mamakin ko waɗannan abubuwan ban mamaki sun faru da gaske. Gilashin kallon yana nuna kawai wani abu. tsufa fuska."
This article is written by William Cole from The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
Lokacin aikawa: Satumba-07-2019