Built by the Allied Soldiers led by America during the Second World War, the 1726 Km long Stilwell’s Road has a deep history. It was first known as the "Ledo Road" and was built directly under the direction of American General Joseph Warren Stilwell before being renamed in the early months of 1945 at the advice of Generalissimo Chaing Kai-shek. The road began from Ledo, Assam (one of the railheads of the Bengal-Assam Railway in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley) and continued to the Burma Road, which connected to Kunming, China. On the border between India and Burma (now Myanmar), it travels through Lekhapani, Jairampur, Nmampong, and the Pangsau Pass. It extends to Mitkyina by ascending the passes of the Patkai Range, which rises to a height of 9,001 feet, and also extends across the Upper Chindwin, entwining through the Hukawng and Mogaung valleys, and descending to Bhamo, eventually joining the Burma Road. Due to neglect, a large portion of the route has sustained significant damage over time; however, some of it has been and/or is being repaired.

General Joseph Warren Stilwell (1883-1946)

 Popularly known as “Vinegar Joe”, and known to his troops as “Uncle Joe," the Allied forces in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre were led by General Stilwell as they defended Burma (Myanmar) against Japanese forces. Technically, Generalissimo Chaing Kai-shek was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in China, as well as in any areas of Indo-China (modern-day Vietnam) and Siam (modern-day Thailand) that might become accessible to the troops. However, in 1943, Admiral Lord Mountbatten took over as the Supreme Allied Commander of South-East Asian forces. In addition, Stilwell was given the position of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for forces in Southeast Asia at that time.

Brief Background of Stilwell Road

 Initially, the British proposed the idea of a road after prospecting the Patkai Range for a route from Assam to northern Burma (Myanmar). It was finally initiated in 1942 after the Japanese had completely taken over Burma (Myanmar). The strategic situation had become serious as communication connections from India to Allied Forces in Burma and the land route for supplies to Chinese forces battling the Japanese in China were both shut. The topography of the Indo-Burma border was tough, with dense, impassable woods afflicted with Malaria and Dysentery. The only remaining method of getting supplies into China was by air, which required flying around Japanese fighters stationed in north Burma by taking a detour over the eastern Himalayas, or "the Hump." Building a land route became crucial since both the required altitude and the distance had an impact on fuel consumption and greatly reduced the number of supplies that could be carried to China. The faltering Chinese army of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek was being supplied through the final significant land routes when Japanese forces invaded Burma in the spring of 1942.

 Due to the fact that China's forces kept tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers busy, the United States and its allies desperately needed to maintain China in the conflict. By retaining control of that important Chinese territory, the Allies were able to strike the Axis powers in the European theatre while also constructing the required launch pad for an attack on Japan's home islands. The ability to regularly supply China and its allies with troops would be necessary for that grand strategy to succeed. Lieutenant Colonel Frank D. Merrill, General Stilwell's operations officer, suggested building a road connecting the old Burma Road from Ledo, Assam, India to Burma in order to provide a land supply route into Burma for the support of the Allied troops battling the Japanese forces in North Burma and China.

 At Ledo, base roads, warehouses, hospitals, and barracks were built alongside Japanese personnel when road work got underway in December 1942. The double-track, all-weather Ledo road was being constructed by the Allies as of December 16, 1942. The Americans then transported large pieces of heavy equipment for building roads, such as bulldozers, cranes, power shovels, Caterpillars, and steamrollers, to these rugged highlands, travelling 12,000 miles across two oceans and three continents. The road reached Shindbwiyang on December 27, 1943, three days before the scheduled expected date. The 117 miles from Ledo to Shindbwiyang were open before January 1, 1944, as desired by General Stilwell, but final grading and gravelling still needed to be done. No necessities were left out of Colonel Pick's celebration for the engineers. They had completed 54 miles in 57 days.

 Even though some of the Ledo Road (Stilwell Road) needed to be repaired due to heavy monsoon water after Myitkyina at the end of 1944, less than two years after Stilwell accepted responsibility for its construction, it connected to Burma Road and became a highway that stretched 1,079 miles from Assam, India to Kunming, China. General Pick led the first convoy of 113 cars from Ledo on January 12, 1945, and it arrived in Kunming, China, on February 4 of that same year.

To reduce the amount of petroleum transported by road and air from Assam, India, to China, two 4-inch fuel pipelines were installed side by side and followed along the Ledo route from Tinsukia, Assam. They were supplied with fuel that was pumped from Calcutta to a station close to where they had started.

The Ledo road was finally finished on May 20, 1945, and recently promoted Major General Lewis A. Pick declared it to be the hardest work the US Army Engineers had ever been given during the War. The road was originally known as "Pick's Pike" to the engineers who built it until being renamed the Stilwell Road in honour of General Joseph W. Stilwell at Chiang Kai-Shek's recommendation.

The cost of building the road was anticipated to be $137,000,000.

Stilwell Road Legacy and Significance

Since the Stilwell Road passed through the territory of three distinct countries—China, Burma, and India—and was not maintained by any of the countries, it nearly disintegrated over time. The route is located in China at 632 km, Burma (Myanmar) at 1,033 km, and India at 61 km. In India, out of 61 km, 31 km is in Arunachal Pradesh and 30 km is in Assam. The restoration of this road as a commercial route will promote greater neighbourly engagement and sustain harmonious relations among the nations and reopening as an international highway for a commercial corridor to connect China, Myanmar (Burma), and other Southeast Asian nations can be a significant international commercial hub.

Due to the roads' historical significance and fame from the Second World War, it will also increase trade and draw domestic and foreign tourists, which will help with socio-economic development in underdeveloped border regions and benefit the locals. In and around Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, north Myanmar (Burma), and southwest China in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre, crashed Air Transport plane remnants from the war era are still occasionally discovered.