Northeast Desk, 16th September: On Sunday, September 15, officials and personnel from the US Air Force’s 25th Fighter Squadron, known as the “Assam Draggins,” visited the Hump Museum in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, to honor their comrades who lost their lives during World War II. The squadron, led by Lt. Col. Justin “Riot” Davis and Capt. Nivruth Maramreddy, paid homage to the airmen who perished as numerous aircraft crashed in the region during wartime missions.
The visit holds deep historical significance, as the 25th Fighter Squadron flew its first combat mission over the Hump in 1942. The Hump, a treacherous route that stretched from Assam to China’s Yunnan province, was a critical supply line during the war. Nearly 650 aircraft were lost navigating the perilous terrain and extreme weather, earning the squadron its iconic nickname, “Assam Draggins.”
The Hump Museum, inaugurated in November 2023 by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and US Ambassador Eric Garcetti, commemorates the US airmen who risked and lost their lives flying the dangerous route. Many of the airmen’s remains are believed to still lie in the Himalayas.
John Tayeng, of Abor Country Travels & Expedition, who coordinated the visit, described it as an “honor” to welcome the squadron back to the region 81 years later, marking a poignant moment in the shared history of the US and India during World War II.
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