Pete McGill was a United States Marine Corps corporal who was stationed in Peking in 1938-39. In Beijing he observed what he could of Japanese troop movements around China, learned a few useful Mandarin phrases (including a terrible profanity), drank, whored, reflected on the shifting fortunes of the American legation in Peking, listened to war news, and rooted for the New York Yankees. He was particularly impressed with the heroic efforts put forth by Monte Pearson and Joe Gordon in Game 3 of the 1938 World Series.

In the spring of 1939, McGill was transferred to Shanghai. Here, he met a Russian born dance hall girl/prostitute named Vera Kuznetsova. He quickly fell in love with her, and demonstrated his affection by showering her with gifts. Her motives were certainly more cynical at first.

By the end of the year, McGill had begun the process of clearing the legal hurtles to marrying Vera. He was informed by Captain Ralph Longstreet that it would be at least a year before a marriage could take place. Although crest-fallen, McGill carried on.

In December, 1939, McGill was witness to a series of guerilla attacks on Japanese positions launched by the Chinese Communist Party.

v · d · e The War That Came Early Books Hitler's War • West and East • The Big Switch • Coup d'Etat • Two Fronts • Untitled sixth volume 1 of 5 Add photo POV Characters Juan Antonio Ansaldo* • Joaquin Delgadillo† • Aristide Demange • Willi Dernen • Peggy Druce • Hideki Fujita • Sarah Goldman • Luc Harcourt† • Adolf Hitler* • Theo Hossbach • Vaclav Jezek • Ivan Kuchkov • Fritz-Julius Lemp • Pete McGill • Anastas Mouradian • Ludwig Rothe† • Hans-Ulrich Rudel • Alistair Walsh • Chaim Weinberg • Sergei Yaroslavsky† Countries Belgium • Britain • China • Czechoslovakia • France • Germany • Italy • Japan • Philippines • Poland • Soviet Union • Spain • United States Events Spanish Civil War • World War II (The War That Came Early) *denotes a character who was a POV for a single scene. † denotes a deceased character.