A pictorial of Colonel Philip Cochran's U.S. air force and the mixed force of Englishmen, Americans, West Africans and Gurkhas they landed in the jungle behind Japanese lines in Burma. There they harassed the Japanese and helped Lt. Gen. Joseph Stilwell's forces in their drive to reopen the land route to China. American light-plane pilots and their supply and evacuation missions are highlighted. LIFE photographs by William Vandivert. Also included is a background story on the June 12, 1944 issue of LIFE, of which there were two versions due to the big news from Europe: Invasion!
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