I'm sure many of you have seen the jeff chandler movie of the same name,here's an account from a soldier that was there.. Merrill's Marauders in Burma - China-Burma-India Theater of World War II
I remember reading a book about them, it seemed like Burma was the worst place to be a Marine in the Pacific. They'd be bombed by their own planes, and buried alive under the craters, while the men around them too weak to help out. A shame they're not more recognized.
the war in burma seems to be less talked about, "The Burma Theatre in WW2 doesn't receive a lot of interest these days, or even during WW2 for that matter (the British Forces fighting the Japs weren't called the "Forgotten Army" for no reason."
Wasn't it Mountbatten who said, you are not the "Forgotten Army"; in fact, no one has ever heard of you. Or was it Wingate?
Hi Ray, I read the book but don't still have it, seen the movie many times and love it--especially when they were fighing at the Japanese Rail and Oil center in or near Myitkyina (SP?) the words pronounced as Mitch in aw. ;-)) Anyway, thanks for the link-it was nice to read the words from an unsung hero ;-))
thanks carl,jeff chandler another of the old school and good egg,soldier/red indian,I liked him as an actor,mr smooth....
Hi Ray, did you also know that he was a Texan? ;-)) He was discovered while he was working as a Stevadore right here at the dockyards in or near Houston ;-)) I too always liked him. Some other favorite Jeff Chandler movies I like are: Pillars of the Sky-which has him in the US Cavalry. The movie also has Lee Marvin in it and I THINK Ward Bond. Another movie I liked him in alot was: Away All Boats. Away All Boats was a VERY early appearance by Clint Eastwood. In this movie, he was a Corpsman. I also have an original half-sheet movie poster for this movie. I bought it because the price was right and I loved the artwork on it.
that's cool! so he never went into the industry? the industry found him,a lucky break carl,the right place at the right time for him.randolph scott was a fav too,it's funny but he seemed old I dont know why as I dont recall him in films when he was young? but he is another from that time,nice "n" easy style cowboy he was,ray..
My great uncle fought there, commanded a platoon of volunteer mixed Chinese-American infantry. To the greatest regrets, of course, he lost his life in combat some time in early 1945 I believe.
Indeed. No one really cares about Burma anymore...which I think is a shame, because the Japanese in Burma were a formidable enemy. No one remembers the Chindits either, which is a shame as well because the Chindits raid on Burma in 1943 was a very interesting tale of how 3000 men infiltrated aa country with 80,000+ enemies in it, did a lot of damage and escaped again. It is indeed sad that so many children learning about World War 2 never hear about the Burma campaign, or anything else in Southeast Asia (with the exception of Singapore).
MastahCheef117- It sounds like your great uncle may have been involved with the liaison mission to the Chinese army. I'm searching for information about liaison groups in the theater on behalf of the families of about a dozen veterans who would like to find out more about what their loved ones were doing. If there any way I could contact your great uncle's family to get more details about his service? Thanks, donhsf By the way, 1986CamaroZ28, there were no U.S. Marines in this theater, it was an Army operation.
Lots of us do. Wtid45 for one and me, my dad was a rn north atlantic man mostly but ended the war on landing craft, but nothing taker my grandads burma stories away.. A battery sgt major of mixed indian ghurka units.. Who found themselves fighting as infantry as much as gunners. They were and are not the forgotten 14th to us.
Thanks! The Burma campaigns must rate as "the greatest unknown stories of the WWII era." Burma campaign - FREE Burma campaign information | Encyclopedia.com: Oxford Companion to World War II Max Hastings' account of Slim's war on the Japanese in Burma makes a ripping good read. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Retribution/Max-Hastings/e/9780307263513 JeffinMNUSA
How is it the japanese end up losing in burma,For a long time it was all go for the Japanese. Was it case of throwing everything into one big operation(u-go) and losing and then never being able to recover or was a total conquest never on.
