Peter Mills’ connection to John Lee began in China during the closing months of World War II, when Mills served as a U.S. Marine/Naval officer. Stationed in China in late 1945, Mills captured numerous photographs that offer rare, vivid glimpses into two worlds—one, the everyday realities of American servicemen in post-war China, and another, the nuances of Chinese civilian life at the time. Notably, Mills’ service led him to visit Yuying Middle School, where he first met John Lee. The encounter blossomed into an enduring cross-cultural friendship after Lee’s father welcomed Mills and his fellow Marines into their family home. This story, recounted in John Lee’s memoir, “Chinese Odyssey,” has been preserved through both Lee’s narrative and Mills’ photographic galleries (available in the Mills collection). Together, these visual and narrative records serve as primary documents, enriching our historical understanding of both the American military presence and Chinese society during this transformative period.
