European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fighting yank in Kashmir by Russell k. Haight a former air Force sergeant who took a civilian Job in India tells How he wound up running a guerilla army undeclared War Between hindus and moslem in the Hills of Kashmir has contributed to the turbulence of India s Experiment in Independence. As a Soldier of Fortune on the moslem Side Russell k. Haight an american sex i and Veteran of the War in Europe Rose to the rank of brigadier general before his recent return to the United states. Here in the first of Tivo instalments he be gins his own Story of the Kashmir War and his amazing part in it last August i was an sex i Selling insurance in Denver. Three months later i was brigadier general leading a moslem rebel army against hindu India i was a general for ninety Days. In that time i bossed 2400 Good British trained Indian soldiers and thousands of wild Pathan tribesmen from the Himalayan Foothills whom the British had never been Able to tame. I led my troops through a siege and in the capture of four fortified towns. In the fighting we did More thin 3000 men were killed and wounded. I killed probably upwards of Twenty men1 myself in close combat. A year before i had had a temporary appointment As a cop in Denver. After six months they would t let me take the exam for a per manent Job because i was t old enough or Strong Chough. I was Only Twenty tour and weighed Only 135 pounds a year under age and ten pounds under what my five Teet eight called Tor. I guess they were afraid i could t Cope with a pickpocket. I i thought of that once when i was wrestling a six foot Punjab Bren gunner in an Indian Forest hacking away at him with the Short Broad bladed sword that was my Basic weapon. When i left Denver last August i was just looking for a Way to support a wife and child. I went out to Afghanistan As a Surveyor Tor an american construction company. I was Down for fifty dollars a month and room and Board for myself and three Hundred a month in my wife s Bank account. I went because i figured that in a year we d have a stake. What happened was that within ninety Days i was in India show ing native tribesmen How to shoot Down strafing spitfires with crudely made native rifles. That was part of the Job i stumbled into command ing the Azad Kashmir International brigade. You Don t hear much about it outside but there s a sizeable War going on in Kashmir up in Northern India on the Pakistan Border. Azad Means free in urdu. The Kashmir moslem Are in revolt against the Indian government and Are trying to set up their own Independent state. Premier Nehru recently outlawed All such Pri vate armies As the one i fought with. As a Soldier in their War i never cared about the issues involved. I led free Kashmir forces in some bloody scraps but for me it was a Job and Money and excitement. I got tangled up with the rebel army when 1 was injured on the construction Job in Afghani Stan. The injury put me in a Hospital got me into an argument with my Boss and started me on the Way Home. Continued on next Page