Ben Deatherage Himalayas

On the roof of the world, astride the most barren and desolate place imaginable, stand the Himalayas, the mightiest mountain range in the world. They are made up of jagged, cloud piercing peaks and serrated rocky crags, forming a rugged, almost impregnable barricade. A thousand mile string of mountains that stretch from Afghanistan in the west on well into China. This knife-edged ridge is the spine that divides two worlds---India and China. The "Hump" is that portion of the Himalayas that extends into China. When China was cut off everywhere by the Japanese, the only route left to supply them was to fly over the "Hump".

Here in the Himalayas stands Mt. Everest, the highest point in the world, with an elevation of 29,028 feet. Her headdress is often a halo fashioned from a cloud. She is always shrouded in a cape of snow white. This mammoth matriarch is flanked on either side by gigantic Sister Mountains, a real amazon family.

Volcanic action did not build these mountains. This is a mountain range formed by pressure. The thrust of the Indian plate exerting pressure from the south, and pressure of the high plateau of Tibet and Russia to the north, push at each other. The result is an uplifting of the earth’s crust, forming the Himalayas. Limestone from an ancient sea bed was found on top of Mt. Everest in 1970, pushed up there by the thrust of these two landmasses, a thrust that continues today, as the Himalayas grow one meter every ten years. Scientists are unsure of the reason why these land masses continue to move to ward each other, pushing the Himalayas higher and higher.

These mountains are burdened with countless eternal glaciers as old as the mountains themselves. These snow and ice-covered peaks are almost always engulfed in storm clouds, seldom showing their rugged features. Avalanches roar down off the melting glaciers. These sounds are often lost in the howling wind that blows here with gale force. There is an awesome beauty about these mountains. If one never had to remember their cruel and wicked side, he could enjoy their beauty more. One wonders what the Creator had in mind when He sculpted this violent, forbidding spot. Perhaps he meant it a distinct reminder of the harsh side of life’s journey to survival.

T/Sgt. Ben Deatherage from his book 'Silhouettes of Fear' 1998. See Recommended Reading Page for information on purchasing this book.

I am looking for former members of the 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 1st, Combat Cargo Group, 2nd Combat Cargo Group and the 4th Combat Cargo Group. In fact I would like to hear from anyone who flew over the Hump during WW II, or flew any Combat Cargo Missions at any time (Berlin Air-Lift, Korea, etc.)

Please e-mail comment, suggestions, corrections,etc to: bill@comcar.org

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