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Extreme and formidable might be the only words to accurately describe the The Gobi Desert which sprawls across northern China and southern Mongolia. Desolate and remote would be understatements regarding this vast , harsh area of scorching rock and sand —one of the world’s most inhospitable places. Drastic changes from blazing daytime heat to frigidly cold nights with whipping winds and severe dryness would seem to eliminate the area as a theatre of war, but this is where the amazing true story of Destination Gobi comes in.
With that said, there are many films with varying degrees of quality have been made about this greatest conflict in history. However, there are relatively few that are talked about and dissected by critics over and over again, which results in other noteworthy stories fading into obscurity.
This is not to suggest that some of the best known accounts of the Second World War such as The Bridge On River Kwai (1957), The Longest Day (1962), Patton (1970), Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), or Dunkirk (2017) are in any way undeserving of their many accolades. Destination Gobi though, is not centered around any major campaigns, epic battles, or saving persecuted minorities from becoming victims of the Holocaust.
The story concerns the U.S. Navy setting up a meteorological command far inland from the Pacific Theatre of World War Two to provide accurate weather forecasts as much as possible. These were vitally important towards planning campaigns in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Japan to ultimately secure an decisive American Victory in Asia and the Pacific region. However, the CPO (Chief Petty Officer) Samuel T. McHale (played by Richard Widmark) is aghast at having to leave the water and being assigned to this new post in the godforsaken desert! Initially, McHale’s command encounters Mongolian nomads near their oasis post which results in an awkward coexistence. Soon, though, McHale’s second-in-command seaman Jenkins (played by Don Taylor) gets the bright idea that the Mongolians could be formed into a cavalry troop as they’re such expert horsemen.
McHale is eager for them to join the fight against the Japanese and in return is able to obtain 60 Army-issue saddles which make the Mongolians very happy. Unfortunately, as things turn out Wyatt and several Mongolians are killed in a Japanese air raid on the camp which scares the nomads off. At this point is where the story really becomes a harrowing ordeal for the Americans. After the Mongolians split the remaining Americans have no choice but to evacuate the treacherous Gobi — crossing 800 miles of it to reach the sea. This would be the equivalent of slogging across Texas from El Paso all the way to Galveston on the Gulf Of Mexico. Even under the relatively controlled conditions of filming, this looks like an harrowing ordeal.
It makes me think that the harshness and danger of trudging through the Sonoran Desert in Arizona (my home state) would be a walk in the park compared to the conditions encountered in the Gobi. This makes the real life story of Destination Gobi something of a nail biter and amazing to comprehend . The remaining American Meteorological Command members have to endure further misadventures including again encountering the Mongolians at Chinese trading oasis. This leads to a complex and sticky situation for McHale and his men where the Mongolians agree to disguise the them as nomads to sneak them through a Chinese town occupied by Japanese troops.
Without spilling all the beans, I’ll just say that McHale and his men are able to reach the sea against astonishing odds and are rescued by U.S. Navy patrol planes. It may be one of the oldest cliches but, yes! truth is stranger than fiction and Destination Gobi is an outstanding (if bizarre and obscure) account of courage, resourcefulness, valor, and not a little humor in the face of trying circumstances.
