World War II Honoree

Francis Miller Pfost

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Ripley, West Virginia

Honored By

Wife, Sons & their Families

SERVED FOR TWO YEARS (1943-1945) IN THE INFANTRY, 11TH ARMY GROUP UNDER GENERAL STILWELL IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS. DUTIES INCLUDED MANNING AN OUTPOST FOR MONTHS AND CONDUCTING PATROLS TO FIND ALLIED PILOTS AND CREWS SHOT DOWN WHILE FLYING SUPPLIES OVER THE 'HUMP'. LATER, AFTER THE BURMA ROAD WAS BUILT, HIS UNIT PROTECTED SUPPLY LINES USING THE ROAD FROM ENEMY ATTACK. HE ALSO TRAINED NATIONALIST CHINESE TROOPS IN WEAPONS USE. HIS UNIT FOUGHT NOT ONLY THE JAPANESE MILITARY BUT ALSO CHINESE BANDITS AND CHINESE COMMUNISTS. WHEN HE LEFT THE U.S. HE WEIGHED 150 POUNDS AND WAS VERY FIT. UPON HIS RETURN FROM ASIA HE WEIGHED ABOUT 90 POUNDS DUE TO THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF MILITARY FIELD LIFE, MALARIA AND OTHER PARASITIC INFECTIONS.