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"Yes, I know him personally. Met him at Columbia in '62. He said the ancestors of the Japanese are Mongols, and he is also a meteorologist. His job during the war was releasing those special weather balloons with the 72-hour timer into the jet stream."

Amazing, what a small world. Did he happen to tell you how they knew about the jet stream and, more than that, where they were 'streaming' at any given time.? As I recall, the timers were primitive and simple albeit, very effective.

I wonder what he bases his comment about the Mongols on. The Japanese and Chinese are very sensative about maintaining that their cultures developed without any outside, especially western, influence. I've read that the Japanese have ancient drawings/paintings of Samurai that clearly show their western like features but, these are always locked away....even researchers are prohibited from viewing.

I would be the least suprised if/when the the tomb of the first emperor (Chi'in) of (all) China is opened and a tall red-headed guy is discovered. BTW, it was reported yesterday that a graveyard from the Han dynasty was discovered during work on the Three Gorges Dam.

Aiming of the incendiary devices was rough. They intended to set the timberlands of Oregon on fire. His Engrish was pretty good and working in the same office we had plenty of time to talk about stuff. Whether they called it the Jet Stream, the high altitude winds were well-known.