The history of these items is intertwined with Shillong’sown war-time past. When Japan attacked Burma in 1942, the town became a significant point of defense, and the remnants of the war still linger in the hills. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entry into the war, the American military requisitioned the production of a 4-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle to assist in rough, untamed terrains.