During World War II, 16,000 troops, 60% of them Negro, were tasked with constructing a road to be the lifeline for supplies into China. These soldiers were asked to deal with unimaginable conditions. The 45th EGSR blew down mountainsides, built bridges over treacherous swamps, and created paths through disease-infested rainforests, all while dealing with monsoons, headhunters, and racism.