Sunday, October 24, 2010

Johnny Lears (aka) Kyaw Zwar Myint's University Life 1952-1956

Johnny (aka) Kyaw Zwar Myint went to Mandalay University after he finished high school at St. Peters. It was around 1952, when he was a junior in Bachelor of Arts. Johnny wanted to join Forestry major after passing his senior intermediate but did not make it as he was sick when he tried the physical test. So he took English Literature and Math instead.
Johnny was living with his sister Gertie and her husband Tom who was an air traffic controller at Mandalay airport, and had to transfer to Rangoon University of Arts and Science a year before he got his degree due to Tom's transfer to Rangoon airport. Johnny taught English at St. John's Convent while he was finishing his B.A. degree.
Johny later on lived with his eldest sister Baby and her husband Budar in Alone Forest Depot in Rangoon. Budar was in a Forestry Department, and became personal assistant of Chief Commissioner of Forestry Department, U Thein.
That was when Johnny met his future wife May, Kyi May Thein, who was an only daughter of Chief of Forest Department, U Thein, and Daw May Kyi Thein.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Kyaw Zwar Myint's (a.k.a) John James Lears Childhood

Johnny Lears was born on December 24, 1931 in Mandalay second capital city of Burma, currently Myanmar. His father was Mr. James Lears and mother was Daw Tin Pu. Mr. James Lears was a foreigner who was working at district council's office in ShweBo in Mandalay Division, and mother was a Burmese national, a typical housewife. The father was a Roman Catholic, and the mother converted from Buddhist to Catholic after their marriage.
John James Lears was called Johnny since he was young. Johnny was an only male in the children, and had 3 older sisters and 2 younger sisters. They all were raised as Catholics. Nobody really knew about his father's origin: Johnny's closest cousin in Australia mentioned that Mr. Lears came from India with his parents who were white Caucasians. Mr. Lears died in a car accident in 1939 while on a trip with his cousin. Mr. Lears' cousin felt responsible for Mr. Lears' dead, and took Johnny's family to Mandaly to live with him.
Johnny went to high school at St. Peters in Mandalay and finished his high school there. He was known as Wynn Saing when he was in his middle and high school, and he changed his name to Kyaw Zwar Myint.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

For Whom It May Concern


I dreamed about meeting my dad since I was about 5 years old. I used to fantasize myself living with my father happily.

I always wanted to write a book about my father, I guess, as I feel very proud and very close to him whenever I think or say about him. I adore him. He is my hero and my beacon of my life.

Now, as technology has improved so much, and it is much more convenient to create and write a blog than write a book.

There are a few things that I want to make clear and sure before I actually start writing about my father's whole life, as I know of.

I do this just to share my feelings about my father, his family life, and his dedications to his colleague and country. And most importantly, I feel dedicated to do this. Have you ever had a feeling that there's a gap in your life or somebody's life? There are gaps in my father's life that nobody, so far, can piece it together yet. I want to find those pieces and put them together, and find out what had happened in those certain moments and times. And I want to know why and how he did or had happened.

Hopefully, while I am writing this blog, someone will join us on this blog to share his or her memories with my father, and that will piece a gap in his life.

I do not mean to say any badmouth about anybody, and I do not intend to point any finger at anybody. Things had happened for its reason, and it is over. We have to accept it. I want to make sure that there is no political, religion, or any other reason in this blog. I do not mean to cause anybody any trouble by creating this blog.

Thank you so much for sharing this with me.


Thursday, September 9, 2010

Let's Share What We Know About Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint (a.k.a) John James Lears

This is the first update that I, son of John Lears, post after I created this blog.
Everything on this blog is about the life of John James Lears (a.k.a) Johnny Newman (a.k.a) Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint. The main reason about this blog is to share about his life, his dedication to his country, his colleagues, and his family.

Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint (a.k.a) John Lears joined military intelligent service (MIS) of Burma after General Ne Win took the power in 1960, and became Ne Win's bodyguard and right-hand man.

Another reason I made this blog is to gather more information about my father, John James Lears, and to puzzle them together. There are some gaps in his life, and only a few people know these gaps and information because they were there with John when these events happened.
I wanted to gather these missing information and put all these puzzles together to put his whole life together, so everybody who knows him will know and figure out what exactly happened to him.
I am hoping that his colleagues, friends, even strangers who knew him, could share or give some missing information when they read this blog.

I will start with my dad's childhood life in next week.
Thank you for sharing this with me.

Son of Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint (a.k.a) John James Lears

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Once Upon A Time In Burma


This is a blog about a man, Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint(a.k.a) John James Lears who was a loving family man, father, loyal serviceman of a dictator General Ne Win of Burma, currently Myanmar.
I want to share my feelings and knowledge about Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint @ John James Lears @ Johnny Lears before and after he deserted Burmese Military Intelligence Service and left Burma in 1965.
I will try to make new post/page every week about John Lears @ Captain Kyaw Zwar Myint's life - a very religious catholic, very dedicated military officer, and generous lovable family man.
Anybody who were in middle age in Burma(Myanmar), Rangoon(Yanton), around 1960s would have known or heard about John Lears as General New Win's right hand man or best man.