Interviewer
Tim Church
Files
Description
Frank B. Bessac discusses his interest in Asian studies and how serving as an intelligence agent in China during World War Two provided him with opportunities to familiarize himself with Chinese and Mongolian history and culture. He describes working for the U.S. government China relief mission after the war, which entailed traveling to Mongolia to deliver grain and other supplies. Bessac recalls interacting with various groups of people in Mongolia who were fighting for Mongolian autonomy during a time when Chinese invasion and settlement was rampant. He talks about the rural conditions in Inner Mongolia and the difficulties of effective political organization that the Mongolians faced. Bessac describes traveling with U.S. embassy vice consul, Douglas MacKiernan before MacKiernan was shot and killed. He also mentions meeting the Dalai Lhama.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Mongolia; Communism, China; Chinese Nationalists; Chinese Communists; Mao Zedong; Mongolian People’s Republic; China relief mission; World War, 1939-1945; MacKiernan, Douglas Seymour (1913-1950); Hindu Kush; Dalai Lhama; Office of Strategic Services [OSS]; Kazakhs; Mongolians; Tibet; Mongols; Xinjian Province, China; Urumqi, China; Bessac, Frank (1922-2010); Inner Mongolia; Kazakh culture; Chinese culture; Mongolian culture; Anthropology; Travel; Life reminiscence
Original Date
3-1-1988
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
International Topics Oral History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 193-001
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (12 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:59:41 minutes
Local Filename
OH_193_001.mp3; OH_193_001.pdf
Citation
Bessac, Frank, "Frank Bessac Interview, March 1, 1988" (1988). International Topics Oral History Collection. 3.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/internationaltopics_oralhistory/3