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The Top-Secret Story of SACO - Sino American Cooperative Organization

This is the untold story of a top-secret WWII U.S. Naval operation and its 2,500 US Navy and Marine volunteers who served under Chinese command and trained over 100,000 Chinese peasants into a guerilla force that registered the highest combat effectiveness of any US military branch during the war.

Told by 17 SACO veterans who were interviewed 25 years ago, WWII historians, and retired Naval officers, with never-before-seen archival footage and photos.

The stories include who and why SACO was established, how the men and supplies got to China, their missions and how they collaborated with the Chinese, their leaders Admiral Milton Miles and General Tai Li, and bureaucratic turf wars that occurred between SACO and the U.S. Army.

  • Daniel J. Levendowski
    Director
    none
  • Daniel J. Levendowski
    Writer
    none
  • Daniel J. Levendowski
    Producer
    none
  • Carolyn Arnold
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    52 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 20, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, Taiwan, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Director's Cut International Film Festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    Nominee Best Documentary
  • Director's Cut International Film Festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    Nominee Best First-TIme Director
  • Cannes World Film Festival
    Cannes
    France
    Nominee Best First-Time Filmmaker Feature
  • Crown Point International Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    Best Documentary Feature Film
  • Crown Point International Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    Best Editing Feature Film
  • Independent Shorts Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Documentary Short-Bronze
  • Depth of Field International Film Festival
    Rohoboth Beach
    United States
    Outstanding Excellence Documentary
  • Depth of Field International Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach
    United States
    Outstanding Excellence Direction
  • Depth of Field International Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach
    United States
    Outstanding Excellence Editing
  • Clout Film Fest
    Sacramento
    United States
    Best Short Documentary
  • Indie Short Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Semi-finalist Best First Time Director
  • Indie Short Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Semi-Finalist Best Documentary Short
  • Indie Short Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Semi-Finalist Best Editing
  • Miami Street International Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    Award Winner Best Editing
  • Miami Street International Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    Award Winner Best Short Documentary
  • American Golden Picture International Film Festival
    Jackstonville
    United States
    Selected
  • Indie Short Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Semi-Finalist Best First-Time Director
Director Biography - Daniel J. Levendowski

Daniel J. Levendowski is an entrepreneur with over 35-years of experience commercializing new medical technologies and an inventor who’s been awarded over 25 patents. He served as principal investigator for research grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, and is an expert in the discovery and application of sleep biomarkers for use in profiling neurodegenerative disorder subtypes. Dan earned a B.S. Cum Laude from the University of the Pacific and an MBA from the Anderson School at University of California Los Angeles. Dan served in the U.S. Navy prior to attending college and he is a first time documentarian.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am extremely fortunate to be able to help tell the story that recognizes and honors the efforts of U.S. and Chinese in SACO. Over 20-years ago my father was introduced to SACO by my great uncle Vern who served in China during WWII. Together they attended many SACO reunions, and my father continued to attend with his dog Bella, the SACO mascot, after my uncle passed away. I attended my first SACO reunion in 2021 and immediately became enamored. The telling of this story was only made possible by gifted access to historical content that enabled my telling of a very complex, historically significant story that continues to impact our world today.