Edward G. Lueders, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by Winston P. Erickson, February 1, 2000: Saving the legacy tape no. 326 and 327

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EDWARD G. LUEDERS February 1 2000 WIN: They were going up over the so-called ... EDW: Over the hump, over the Himalayas into China, out of Assam. Which has become the northeast part of Bangladesh in the years since, after becoming first part of Pakistan, and then Bangladesh. And these were air strips that were put up in various places in upper Assam, were the bases from which the C-4 7's and C-48's would be loaded and fly over the Hump, mostly to Kunming, which was the reception point, the main receptive point. But there were Air Transport Command bases all over the interior of China, as far as was possible since the Japanese were still in charge, at that point, of the coastlines. And down into Burma. The Burmese fighting was the most difficult part of that CBI part of the war- and the Japanese were holding on there for obvious reasons, with the kind of jungle fighting that was going on that you and others who had that sort of experience in VietNam would be familiar with- you just don't make very many advances. And one of my experiences in Burma was as close as I got to war itself, where we would be dropped- I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? Because my experience in the special service developed into being a member of soldier shows that were made up in Calcutta by special service personnel. All Air Transport Command personnel who had talents and skills in show business of some sort, and were there for, could be drafted for service, temporary service to perform in soldier shows that would go out with orders to entertain the A TC troops. And any base in the China - Burma - India theatre, which had Air Transport Command personnel - well, this was just about everywhere in the CBI. 34