Bridge sabotaged with termites in WWII
The positive role termites play in our environment quickly turns negative the closer they get to our cities, towns and homes. Devouring buildings behind sealed walls, nature's helper becomes man's enemy by causing structural damage, financial expense and threatening real estate transactions.
Sometimes, however, the enemy of our enemies can be our friends. This is such a story.
Kenneth Mcleod wasn't a termite inspector, but he did understand the havoc they could wreak. He used that to his advantage as a prisoner in WWII Japan. While on duty in the Asian Theater, McLeod was captured and sent to the prison at Tamarkin, the POW camp where McLeod and other prisoners were forced to build the infamous bridge over the river Kwai used for the Burma Railway. During the construction McLeod secretly sabotaged the bridge by putting termite colonies at every joint and upright. Had the war not ended before the railway was complete, there's no doubt McLeod's inventive use of termites would have collapsed the bridge and incapacitated the railway.
The Japanese are no longer our enemy, but McLeod's brief alliance with the termite over 50 years ago is a somber reminder of that our continued reliance on wood products for construction will to keep us ever vigilant. Stay vigilant Los Angeles! If you need commercial termite contol or a termite inspection for your residence, call Right Time Termite Company.
