Jesse Chan Befriends Japanese Colonel (1940s)
Overview
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and China in the 1940s, teenage Jesse Chan approached Japanese soldiers asking for food during a period of mass starvation. A high-ranking Japanese colonel took a special liking to Jesse and provided extraordinary privileges that likely saved Jesse’s family from starvation.
The Story
Initial Contact
When Chinese civilians were starving under Japanese occupation, Jesse (a teenager) approached Japanese soldiers requesting food. A Japanese colonel (high-ranking officer) met Jesse and immediately favored him over his brothers, saying:
“Anything you want, you just tell me. I give it to you.”
Daily Provisions
- Every day, Japanese forces slaughtered three pigs
- The colonel gave Jesse one whole leg each day - “a big, big piece”
- Jesse shared the meat with neighbors and friends rather than hoarding it
- This went on for an extended period during the occupation
The Special Pass
The colonel issued Jesse a special pass with extraordinary privileges:
- All Chinese had to bow to Japanese soldiers at every street corner checkpoint
- Jesse could show the pass instead of bowing
- Japanese soldiers would bow to HIM when he showed the pass
- This was an unprecedented reversal of power dynamics under occupation
The Colonel’s Offer
After about one year:
- The colonel took over Hong Kong after British forces surrendered in “only a few hours”
- The colonel knew Jesse had family in the Philippines
- He offered to take Jesse to either Philippines or Japan
Mother’s Intervention
Jesse’s mother warned him:
“He won’t take you to Philippines. He’ll take you to Japan and you’ll never come back.”
The colonel liked Jesse so much he wanted to adopt him and take him to Japan. Jesse’s mother prevented this, likely saving Jesse from:
- Permanent separation from family
- Growing up in Japan
- Possible military service in Japanese forces
- Never returning to his family
Significance
Survival Strategy
- Shows Jesse’s charisma and social skills even as a teenager
- Demonstrates remarkable survival instincts during occupation
- Complex moral situation: befriending enemy forces to feed family
Character Revelation
- Jesse shared resources with community - didn’t hoard
- Willing to take risks to help family survive
- Able to navigate dangerous power dynamics
Mother’s Wisdom
- Mother understood the colonel’s true intentions
- Prevented permanent separation of family
- Showed cultural understanding of Japanese adoption customs
Historical Documentation
- Rare firsthand account of Japanese-Chinese interactions during occupation
- Documents survival strategies of occupied populations
- Shows humanity on both sides of conflict - colonel showed favoritism but still an occupier
Family Impact
- Jesse’s family survived starvation
- Jesse learned to navigate complex power structures
- Story passed down as remarkable survival tale
Context
The Occupation
- Japanese occupied Hong Kong after brief battle
- British soldiers surrendered quickly
- Chinese civilians suffered mass starvation
- Japanese military controlled all food distribution
Jesse’s Situation
- Father had died when Jesse was 3
- Family had fled from Philippines to Hong Kong to Fujian
- Uncle controlled family finances
- Family was vulnerable and had limited resources
Special Pass Details
From Jesse’s account:
- Pass was written document from colonel
- All Japanese soldiers recognized and respected it
- Created extraordinary privilege for Chinese civilian teenager
- Symbolized colonel’s significant power and favoritism
Aftermath
Immediate
- Family survived the occupation
- Jesse avoided being taken to Japan
- Special privileges continued until end of occupation
Long-term
- Jesse never forgot the colonel’s kindness (despite being enemy)
- Story became part of family lore
- Demonstrates Jesse’s ability to befriend people across cultural/language barriers
- Jesse later spoke 7 languages - this multilingual ability may have started here
Related Stories
Other Acts of Bravery
Jesse’s pattern of confronting danger:
- Disarming armed worker at factory gate
- Saving granddaughter Kaitlyn from drowning
- Chasing thieves on Hong Kong bus
Betty’s WWII Experience
While Jesse survived through befriending colonel in China, Betty was simultaneously:
- Fleeing Japanese invasion in Philippines
- Hiding in forest caves
- Witnessing Japanese occupation from civilian refugee perspective
Both grandparents survived WWII through different strategies.
Moral Complexity
This story raises complex questions:
- Collaboration vs. Survival: Was befriending occupying forces necessary survival or collaboration?
- Individual Acts vs. Systemic Evil: Colonel showed kindness to individual while part of brutal occupation
- Resource Sharing: Jesse shared food with neighbors - showed community solidarity
- Power Dynamics: Special pass inverted normal occupation power structure
- Cultural Adoption: What would have happened if Jesse went to Japan?
Family narrative emphasizes:
- This was survival strategy during starvation
- Jesse helped community by sharing resources
- Mother’s wisdom prevented permanent separation
- Story shows complexity of human relationships during war
In Jesse’s Own Words
From interview transcript:
- “The colonel liked me. He said, anything you want, you just tell me. I give it to you.”
- “Every day gimme one leg [of pork]. I share to my neighbor, they are all my friends.”
- “They [soldiers] come, come, they bow it to me.”
- Mother said: “He will not bring you to the Philippines. He will bring you to the Japan and never come back.”
John Louis Chan’s Dramatized Retelling
In November 2022, three months after Jesse’s death, his son John Louis Chan wrote a dramatized retelling of this story titled “The Japanese Colonel”.
John’s version adds vivid narrative details:
- The Colonel arriving on a beautiful brown Arabian horse with white mane
- A wrestling match where young Ke Leong knocked down the Colonel, winning his respect
- Christmas carols drifting from apartment windows during the occupation
- The Colonel bringing a model ship from the American President Lines office as a gift
- The recurring sound of “clomp, clomp, clomp” as the horse approached
The dramatized version captures the essence of Jesse’s story while adding literary elements that bring the wartime Hong Kong setting to life. John poignantly describes the special pass as “the difference between life and death, no thicker than a piece of paper.”
Research Questions
- Was this colonel ever identified by name?
- How common were special passes during occupation?
- What happened to the colonel after the war?
- Did other family members receive food through Jesse?
- How long did this arrangement last exactly?
- Were there consequences for Jesse after Japanese defeat?
- Did Jesse ever learn Japanese during this period?
This event represents one of the most dramatic survival stories in the family history and provides rare documentation of civilian-military relationships during Japanese occupation.