The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu, and the United States Ambassador, Mr. Eric Garcetti, joined together to inaugurate the "Hump WWII Museum" in Pasighat, India, on November 30, 2023. This momentous occasion marked the second museum in Asia dedicated to honoring the fallen airmen of the US forces during World War II, instilling a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by Allied forces. The tranquil landscape of Pasighat sets the ideal site for this tribute to the brave US servicemen who lost their lives during the Hump Operation.
Visitors to the museum will have the opportunity to view remnants of aircraft, including rusting wreckage and machine guns, from the 650 planes that crashed or went missing in Arunachal Pradesh during World War II. This serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made in this region and the historical ties between the United States and Arunachal Pradesh.
The museum's theme beautifully reflects the history of the "Hump" air route, which was used by Allied forces to transport people from Assam to Yunnan, China. These daring flights through treacherous terrain earned the pilots the nickname "The Hump," symbolizing their incredible courage. The Hump route traverses various regions, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Tibet, Yunnan, and Myanmar, and an estimated 650 aircraft crashed in these areas due to the extreme flying conditions.
The name of the museum itself is a testament to the Hump operation, which remains one of the most remarkable feats in aviation history during the Second World War. It serves as a powerful reminder of the courage and determination displayed by the Allied forces in defending democracy and freedom.
In a heartwarming development, foreign tourists have already started flocking to the newly inaugurated Hump World War II museum, just one day after its opening. This demonstrates the immense interest in and recognition of the importance of preserving history. The museum will honor the fallen heroes of World War II and ensure that their stories are forever etched in our collective memory by serving as a valuable educational tool for younger generations.
MyGov Arunachal extends an invitation to its citizens to express their views on how, in light of our common history, we should keep up our strong international ties and preserve history.
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
The "obstacles posed by terrain and the extremes in climate were difficulties never before experienced in mass operation of aircraft", the Ohio-based US Air Force museum added, who call it the "world's first strategic airlift".
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
The National Museum of the US Air Force called it the "greatest sustained aerial transport achievement of the war".
They ferried some 650,000 tonnes of fuel, munitions and equipment through some of the toughest of flying conditions over the mountains.
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
New Delhi, who is wary of Beijing's growing military assertiveness along their 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) shared frontier, consistently maintains that Arunachal is an "integral and inalienable part of India".
According to the China-Burma-India Hump Pilots Association, 590 planes went down with the loss of more than 1,650 lives from April 1942 until near the end of the war in 1945.
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
The remains of aircraft are still found smothered in Arunachal Pradesh's rugged jungle hills, sandwiched between Myanmar and China.
Today, Washington and Beijing are rival superpowers, while China claims almost all of Arunachal Pradesh is part of its territory as "South Tibet".
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
Pilots nicknamed the dangerous route over the ice-covered eastern Himalayan mountains "The Hump", a giant airlift to supply Chinese troops battling Japanese forces after they cut off the overland route through Burma, today's Myanmar.
It also earned the moniker the "Aluminium Trail" because of the number of crashes.
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
Pilots nicknamed the dangerous route over the ice-covered eastern Himalayan mountains "The Hump", a giant airlift to supply Chinese troops battling Japanese forces after they cut off the overland route through Burma, today's Myanmar.
It also earned the moniker the "Aluminium Trail" because of the number of crashes.
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said it showcased "the remnants of aircraft that went missing", as he inaugurated "The Hump WWII Museum" alongside the US ambassador, Eric Garcetti in the town of Pasighat
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
Telling the story of how Allied pilots flew the perilous route to supply Chinese forces, it includes 80-year-old rusting wreckage and machine guns of some of the 590 planes that crashed into the jungle hills and jagged mountains of Arunachal Pradesh.
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh: India paid tribute Wednesday to the hundreds of US servicemen killed during World War II with the opening of a museum near its strategic border with China honouring the dramatic Himalayan airlift dubbed "The Hump"
Sakthivel 1 year 5 days ago
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said it showcased "the remnants of aircraft that went missing", as he inaugurated "The Hump WWII Museum" alongside the US ambassador, Eric Garcetti in the town of Pasighat.