LEDO ROAD STILWELL ROAD BURMA ROAD

General Joseph W. Stilwell's Highway to China The Ledo Road winds through Burma Laborers cut a 100 foot wide path through the jungle Construction along the Ledo Road Survey party on elephants meets up with bulldozer Old meets new at the roadhead Troops on the move pass bulldozer at work Clearing the trace During the dry season the road progressed a mile a day 13,500,000 cubic yards of earth were moved in constructing the road Around the mountains... ...and through the jungle Engineers and equipment dwarfed by the massive jungle When there wasn't room on the mountainside, engineers made room. Looking back on the low overhanging rock formation Two portraits of Lieutenant General Lewis A. Pick who commanded the road building effort General Pick, "the man with the stick", consults with bulldozer operator An unusually straight and flat portion of the road 1,383,000 cubic yards of gravel was taken from riverbeds for the road surface Engineers work on a gravel screen for road building Graded slope along the road Trucks pass construction in progress Driving pilings to support the road Driving the road was a dangerous task Bulldozer pulls truck through low spot on the road Jeep moves on a cordouroy road (bamboo laid over mud) during construction Hell Gate marks the road's entry to Pangsau Pass near the India-Burma Border.       Truck convoy at Hell Gate The tough terrain and steep grades earned Pangsau Pass the name "Hell Pass". General Pick tours a newly built section Jeeps follow ruts during construction Native workers huddle under rain gear (left) as U.S. engineers have lunch in the rain Monsoon rains made traversing the road a constant struggle Engineers work to free Jeep stuck in the mud Truck going nowhere Lord Mountbatten inquired about the river he was flying over. The reply: That's not a river, it's the Ledo Road! Clearing mud from a bridge near Myitkyina Bulldozer drags logs to clear mud (note the soldier "riding shotgun") Drainage Culverts to prevent wash-outs Hospital unit of Dr. Gordon Seagrave, "The Burma Surgeon" at Tagap Ga, Burma. Rare color photograph shows cut through jungle and heavy traffic on the road Cutting the road into the mountainside Construction continued around-the-clock Anti-aircraft battery protects the road and bridge Lone truck kicks up dust racing rain clouds Trucks kick-up clouds of dust during the dry season, leaving a trail through the jungle. Mountainous section ahead Part of the American-trained Chinese 22d Division passes convoy along the road Troops on the move Road zig-zags to climb mountain The Ledo Road literally cut through Burma Engineers take a break from the rigors of construction with a baseball game in Assam Evening on the Ledo Road Engineers still at work as trucks cross temporary bridge over the Irrawaddy River south of Myitkyina Before the bridge was complete supplies were ferried across the Irrawaddy A more permanent bridge over the Irrawaddy Floating design of the 1600 foot bridge allowed it to adjust to the river's changing level Ferry and two bridges to cross the Irrawaddy Truck towing howitzer prepares to cross Tanks cross Irrawaddy River in Burma Bridge over the Mogaung River south of Warazup, Burma. Wooden bridge under construction utilizing native labor Long wooden bridge On average there was a bridge every three miles along the Ledo Road        A 450 foot Bailey cable bridge spans the Shweli River Salween River Bridge. Early view shows bridge open for foot traffic only. Suspension bridge under construction Bridge ready for single-lane traffic Truck crossing the bridge Aerial view of the bridge Another aerial view of bridge and approach Duece'n'a half crosses bridge Crossing a pontoon bridge Steel bridges in Burma Bailey Bridges Bridge sections ready for unloading from trucks General Pick poses with engineers on bridge under construction Bridges over the Tarung River Milepost sign at Ledo Another version of the sign with CBI and Ledo Road emblems added General Pick points out Myitkyina on the milepost sign Soldiers pose in front of the large Milepost sign at Ledo Probably the first milepost zero sign at Ledo Milepost sign at Shingbwiyang China Convoy parking area sign south of Bhamo, Burma. General Pick inspects Chinglo (Chinglow) Hill sign with Col. William J. Green and Col. Charles S. Davis China-bound truck passes junction of Ledo and Burma Roads Sign at Mongyu, Burma marks junction of the roads Some signs along the Ledo Road Girls graced many speed limit signs along the road A reference to gas and tire rationing back home No jive speed limit sign Girl caught naked advises: "Speeders Beware! Mark my words, Wait and see, You'll get caught, Just like me." Sign on the way back to Ledo near Shingbwiyang Irrawaddy River bridge sign A section of the Burma Road named for one of the 261 engineers who lost their lives during construction   5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) famous as "Merrill's Marauders" move along the road Mules carrying supplies for the Marauders General Merrill consults with General Stilwell Crossing a native bridge Men used the bridge, mules got wet. General Merrill (far left) observes the Marauder's along the Ledo Road Coaxing the mules up a steep hill The Marauders pass the half-way point on the Ledo Road Victory and Liberty Ships being loaded with lend-lease supplies for overseas Lend-lease medical supplies for China being unloaded at Calcutta, India, 1944. Medical supply warehouse at Calcutta Carefully unloading delicate cargo Supplies await loading at rail yard for shipment to Ledo Supplies move on the Bengal & Assam Railway while elephants cool down after hard days work Construction of facilities at Ledo Lieutenant General Raymond A. Wheeler, Commander, Services Of Supply and later the India-Burma Theater     Fuel storage dump in Assam Truck service facilities at Lekhapani, four miles down the road from Ledo. Drivers at depot Loglai sub-depot at Milepost 55 Roadside airstrips like this allowed for faster resupply by transports U.S. Army Air Corps. C-47, one of the planes used to air-drop supplies to forward areas. Supplies being air-dropped Awaiting the word to "kick" supplies out the door Air-drop supplies are pushed out the door of a transport Signal Corps cameraman documents air drop Low-level parachute drop C-47s on the airfield following the recapture of Myitkyina Packing supplies at the 14th Medical Supply Depot Native labor helping to unload supplies Wrecker lifts huge crate Part of the sprawling U.S. Army Installation at Ledo In addition to building the Ledo Road, engineers also upgraded almost 600 miles of the Burma Road. Preparing to blast away part of the mountain Construction equipment passes former Japanese positions Graders maintaining the Burma Road General Robert F. Seedlock at ceremonial link-up of construction parties at the Burma-China border General Seedlock addresses small gathering of engineers at border Engineers pose at border sign Famous 24 Zig along the Burma Road Another view of the switchbacks Back and forth up or down the mountain Convoy navigates the curves Chinese-manned American tanks on the Burma Road Chinese tank crew Fighter protects Chinese troops on the Burma Road Troops approach wrecked Japanese truck and mini tank Trucks on the road... ...and trucks off the road Pause to check-out explosion Convoys passing Tractor-trailer trucks just get by a nearly washed-out bridge Truck rolls along the road Chinese troops move through a town along the Burma Road In addition to the road, engineers also built fuel pipelines that closely paralleled the road. Up to six 4" and 6" pipelines followed the supply line from Calcutta to Kunming Welding a section of pipe A pipeline suspended over a river A landing craft and barges pull pipeline across river Pipeline disappears as it crosses distant river Pipelines take a shortcut over a hill Pumping Station in Burma Engineers maintain diesel pumping station Installing support beams for the roof of a fuel storage tank near Myitkyina The pipelines carried fuel for planes flying The Hump and trucks on the Ledo Road Part of the system that carried fuel all the way from Calcutta to Kunming American and Chinese soldiers place flags on a Jeep for the First Convoy over the Ledo Road Convoy formed and awaiting departure from Ledo Another truck is decorated with American and Chinese flags At symbolic ceremony, General Pick (right) receives orders for first convoy from General Sultan (left). First convoy heads out on the Ledo Road, 12 January 1945. 6x6 Deuce 'n' a half (2½ ton truck) decorated for first convoy The decorated lead truck was also armed with an anti-aircraft gun Motorcycles lead the 113 vehicle-long convoy Trucks pause on a narrow stretch Lead truck continues after crossing single lane bridge General Pick's jeep crosses bridge The convoy winds its way through Burma Passing temples and ruins Army ambulance passes the convoy General Pick addresses drivers prior to leaving Myitkyina The convoy made several extended stops as the final route was cleared MPs assigned to the convoy prepare for overnight layover General Pick in lead jeep arrives at the junction of the Ledo and Burma Roads Truck passes ceremonial junction Sign marks passing of first convoy American and Chinese soldiers view the sign, in a different location and with translation added. General Sultan, commander of India-Burma Theater, speaks at ceremony Flags and fireworks greet the convoy as it passes through Saikwan, China. Boy gives traditional Chinese good luck greeting as convoy passes Convoy assembles for triumphant entry into Kunming Sign reads "Welcome the First Convoy on Stilwell Road" General Pick waves to crowd lining streets of Kunming People crowd the convoy First convoy arrives Kunming, China, 4 February 1945. General Pick arriving in China Convoy in Kunming Governor Lung Yun of Yunnan Province greets General Pick Dedicated to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces in the China-Burma-India Theater

THE LEDO ROAD SLIDE SHOW
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