A Study Trip to the Ledo Road  

By Tony Yang (a) Than Nyunt

View of a bridge along the Ledo Road

 

WWII Pontoon


Billboard on the left and right side along the Ledo Road


View of a rural cottage
beside the Ledo Road


View of Wet Thauk Chaung Bridge where a brutal fighting had engaged between Japanese fascists and Allied Forces during WWII

One portion of the Ledo Road

One portion of the Ledo Road, still misty even in mid-April

Although I had lived long and was born in Mogaung 50 years ago, I had had no chance to visit the Ledo Road before until April 09, 2005, thanks to Ms Khaing Tun, a tour-consultant in the States. She referred the eight Black American army veterans to me who had participated in the building the road 60 years ago, and who wanted to visit the Road if chance permited.

As is well-known the Ledo Road was built by Black American soldiers on the Myanmar front during World War II. It went from Ledo in India to Nam Kham, and Kyu Khok, a town on the Sino-Myanmar border. It passed through Pan Saung, Nang Yun, Shinbwiyang, Tanai, Shaduzup, Warazup, Dum Bang, Lawa, Mogaung, Namti, Myitkyina and Bahmaw. It is a world-famous strategic road for logistical support to the KMT Soldiers waging war against the Japanese fascist soldiers. The battles were very fierce, resulting in a lot of soldiers being killed on both sides. There had been some wartime airfields off the Ledo Road on either side and many dumps of damaged military cars and war-planes, but they are no more now, except some debris from worn-out engines. At the time when the Ledo Road was not yet finished, the battles off the Road were so fierce that one troop followed and caught another, tracing the trail by the lying corpses, it is said.

I left Mogaung on April 09, 2005, at 07:30 a.m. before the mists dispersed and arrived at the point of Ledo after 30 minute drive, on a motorbike driven by a friend of mine. As soon as we reached the Ledo Road, which is much wider than the one I had taken. I suddenly felt quite fresh as we entered a dense-evergreen forests which gave us fresh air and a cool micro climate. I enjoyed a feeling of great ecstasy. Myanmar forests are world famous because of their flora and fauna. As it is an evergreen forest, the climate is cool all year round, with no hot season. The first phase of the Ledo Road is wide and smooth but after some distance, some small stones were scattered here and there. As we drove on we found larger stones scattered. But the Road itself was smooth and even untill we reached Tanai. The scenic beauty around the Road is really amazing. The Road between Namti and Myitkyina is tar sealed, but it is a mud road beyond Namti and Mogaung. Between Mogaung and Tanai we could drive at 30-40 km per hour. When we reached Dum Bang village I made a special study of the locality because some of my relatives were born there. Many orange orchards were found there. At about 11:30 a.m., we reached the big village of Shaduzup, where we had our lunch, and reached Tanai around 2:00 p.m. and checked-in at Shwe Toe Aung Guest House. There are some businessmen developing gold mines there. In such an undeveloped rural area of the Ledo Road, Myanmar styled local houses are used as guest houses, quite different from big hotels in cities in your country. Bathrooms and lavatories are in the style of Myanma rural areas.

At 06:00 a.m. next morning I left Tanai on the back of the motorbike driven by my friend. After half an hour drive we reached Tawan creek. It took us about an hour to get the ferry, but it actually only took about 8 minutes to reach the other side. The road between Tanai and Shinbwiyang is not as we expected. At most places, it is bogged, and in some places, it is only good enough for a motorbike. Four-wheel drives cross only at fords. After some time it drizzled. First I thought it was mist. Later it came to be sleet, to my amazement. Along this road there are evergreen forests, bamboo clumps and cane clumps, where waterfowls, pied hornbills, paddy birds, woodpeckers, jungle fowls, and koels (cuckoos) abound, making their respective sounds pleasant to hearers' ears. The scenic beauty is really breathtaking.

The Ledo Road seems to be built along the Hukaung Valley. Now this area of 8452 square miles has been notified as a Wildlife Corridor, which is the biggest of its kind in the world. After a 2 hour drive we saw the Tarong Creek, which seems to be quite wide in the rainy season. It is quite wide even in the dry season. It took about 10 minutes to cross it. We drove on and found signs such as “Wildlife Corridor”, “Drive Slowly”, and “Hukaung Tiger Reserve” along the road, left and right, by the Forest Department, which is planning to count the number of tigers by using camera-traps. It will notify the number of tigers in the Hukaung area as exactly possible. It is said that this Wildlife Corridor is managed by the Forest Department in conjunction with the WCS (Wildlife and Conservation Society). At about 11:40 a.m., I saw a wartime airfield which I was extremely eager to see. These are the heritage of the Ledo Road built of blood and sweat. I had taken a photo on the runway of the airfield. After looking around there about 10 minutes I reached a gold mine not far away from the airfield, where I had studied some gold mines. We reached Shinbwiyang within a few minutes. It is said that this small village was the headquarters of Allied Forces during the WWII. It was about at noon and I was hungry so I took a rest at Ain Met Thit (New Dream) Restaurant, where I took my lunch. At Shinbwiyang this restaurant is the one-eyed among the blind, meaning it is the best one of all. During my chat with the restaurateur, I told her that I'm from a tour agency in Yangon, adding that I came here to explore the Ledo Road area and the promotion of tourism industry in that area, and how the Black American soldiers built this road about 60 years ago. I also told her that about eight remaining Black American soldiers aspired to revisit the Ledo (Stilwell) Road. I was deeply touched when the woman said "Let those eight Black American soldiers to come and see the road they had built."


 

 WWII Airfield at Shinbwiyang near the Ledo Road

Shinbwiyang Airfield

Tony Yang seen at Yunnanyi

Ronald Bleecker &
Ms Khaing

Knife No.89467

One portion of  the Ledo Road

A war-veteran of Chinese Expedition Army who had participated in  WWII, still living in Namti

 

The Ledo (Stilwell) Road was a strategic road which took two years to build, from March 1943 to January 1945. Now this great road, often more than 60 years, is again coming to life after its renovation for economical development between India and China.

This great road was built day and night more than 60 years ago by 330th American Engineer Regiment, 45th American Engineer Regiment, 1905th American Aviation Battalion, 209th American Combat Battalion, 1883rd American Aviation Battalion, and other American Regiments and 10th and 12th Chinese Engineer Regiments, along with many thousands of workers from India, Nepal, Tibet and China. About ten months after the start of building only about 68 km of the road was finished. Later, there was progress was only made after the arrival of Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Pick from America, at the request of General Stilwell, who was famous for the building of roads.

I would like to acknowledge that I was able to study the Ledo Road after I had fortunately received and studied the diary of Captain Francis Albert Bleecker (December 27, 1908 - February 22, 1970), Oklahoma City, who had participated in the building of the Ledo Road with the 330th Engineer Regiment under the 2nd Battalion during 1943-1945. I received it from his son, Ronald L. Bleecker (rbleecker1@cox.net,http://bleeckergate.com). According to the books from China, the total length of the Stilwell Road is about 1809 km (In some journels, the length of the Ledo Road was stated to be as 1726 km.), made up of more than 500 km of the Ledo Road, more than 300 km from Myitkyina to Baoshan, more than 1,000 km of the Burma Road, and 9 km of Kunmin Circuit North Road (Huan Cheng Bei Lu). The first convoy departed Ledo on January 14, 1945 at the signal of Lt. Gen. Dan I. Sultan, Theater Commander. It was halted at Namkham while enemy resistance was wiped out at Mu-Se on January 22 and Mong Yu on January 27. Led by Brig. Gen. Pick, the "First Convoy" arrived in Kunming on February 4, 1945. About more than 80,000 tons of military supply goods was sent between February and August, 1945 along the Stilwell Road.

Here, my special acknowledgment go to my friend Ms. Khaing of America. Thanks to her, Mr. Ronald L. Bleecker, Charles D. Peterson, Ms. Khaing and myself had the chance to visit the Ledo Road in January 2006. I have uploaded on my website www.universalbaron.com the photographs I took of parts of the Ledo Road during our trip there, and those from Francis A. Bleecker's diary. I do hope and believe that you will learn a lot by visiting our website.

Arrangements are under way to revisit the Ledo Road in 2007 and onwards. Accordingly, let me invite those who are interested especially the kith and kin of those who participated in the building of the Ledo Road. Lastly, I am pleased to record and honour General Stilwell and those who had sacrificed their lives, blood and sweat in the building of this great road.