On May 17, 1944, American, Chinese, and Kachin troops began the assault on Myitkyina, an important objective in North Burma.  The airfield was captured rather quickly, but the battle for the city would last more than two months. General Joseph Stilwell and a group of correspondents arrived at the Myitkyina airfield the following day, after fighting had subsided.
   The American troops were Merrill's Marauders and their story was told in the June 26, 1944 issue of LIFE magazine. Only a few of the photos Bernard Hoffman took at the airfield were used in the article,the rest are shown below, from the LIFE Photo Collection at Google Arts & Culture. Some images may be disturbing.