Boh is the official Burmese term for an army lieutenant. But in common parlance a bo is any military officer, a commander, a leader. It was in that sense that the word was applied to officers of the fledgling Burma Independence Army when it first made its appearance on Burmese soil in 1942, vibrant with the hopes of a country poised to realize its dream of freedom. In the febrile, hazardous atmosphere of wartime, heroes were at a premium and every bo was seen through a haze of glamour and romance. Foremost among them was Aung San, barely twentyseven, intense, upright, the very image of the patriotic young commanderin-chief, inspiring poetry and song.