Dixie Mission

The United States Army Observation Group, commonly known as the Dixie Mission, was sent during World War II to Yan'an, China, to establish the first official relations between the Communist Party of China and the United States of America. It lasted from 22 July 1944 to 11 March 1947.

The goal of the mission, beyond the establishment of relations with the Communists, was to investigate the communists from a political and military perspective. This task was spearheaded by John S. Service of the United States Department of State, covering the political perspective, and Colonel David D. Barrett of the United States Army who was responsible for the military aspects. Their initial reports presented a positive outlook on the Chinese Communists as a potential and useful wartime ally. Controversy later surrounded their reports as opinions in Washington adopted a more negative stance towards the communists. Eventually, many of the men associated with the reports were condemned by pro-Chinese Nationalist factions in the American government and fell victim to McCarthyism. Service was arrested and fired from his position at the State Department, and Barrett was denied a promotion to brigadier general.

The Dixie Mission also played host to both the Patrick Hurley and George Marshall diplomatic missions, which were serious attempts by the United States government to negotiate a unification of the Chinese Communists and Nationalists. Both failed, but the brief existence of the mission later became a positive shared experience between the People's Republic of China and the United States during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon.