Why CBI
Dad's service in the Army was directly related to the building of the Ledo Road...
"On December 8, 1942, President Roosevelt gave the Ledo Road his own blessing and accorded it a priority
second only to that enjoyed by the North African campaign, then in progress.
Marshall promised Stilwell that he would allot him six thousand more troops (including the 330th Engineer
General Service Regiment and several hospital units) and sixty-three thousand tons of supplies for
early shipment to India for the road job.
The troops, scheduled to sail from the west coast in January 1943, would reach India in March or April,
with the supplies following in about a month.
The curtain was going up on the greatest road show in history."
"The 48th Evacuation Hospital arrived at Camp Anza, California from Fort Devens, Massachusetts, on the night of 10-11 January 1943. Here were assembling the units of the 4201 Shipment. These included the 20th General Hospital, 73rd Evacuation Hospital, 478th Quartermaster Regiment, 151st Medical Battalion, 330th Engineer Regiment, 21st Quartermaster Regiment (colored), 7th Ordnance Battalion, and several small separate depot companies. These 6000 odd souls, male and female, white and colored, embarked on 19 January; and the transport left Wilmington, California harbor at 0800 hours, 20 January. Bombay was reached on 3 March. From there the units were shuffled across India, via Poona, Deolali, or Ranchi."
While President Roosevelt was giving his blessing to the Ledo Road project, Dad was at Fort Devens receiving Quartermaster training in Depot Supply. Although it is unlikely that he knew it at the time, he would become a member of one of the small depot companies mentioned. Soon he would be crossing the country headed for California. He would be part of the "4201 Shipment" headed for India and eventually Ledo in Assam and "the greatest road show in history." As planned, the USS Monticello left from the West Coast on 20 January 1943 and reached Bombay in March. Dad crossed India by way of Deolali and reached Ledo on 21 March 1943. More than two years later on 20 May 1945, the Ledo Road was officially opened as "Stilwell Road." Dad left India the following month as the curtain fell on "the greatest road show."
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