War Stories

Bart Hagerman

Description

The 17th Airborne was one of five Airborne divisions activated by the United States during WWII. Although frequently overshadowed by the more famous 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the 17th Airborne fought with distinction alongside them in the Battle of the Bulge. This book chronicles some of the experiences of the men of the 17th Airborne on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the division's activation.

Sujets

• Histoire
• U.S. Air Force
• United States of America
• 17th Airborne Division (United States)
• Military history of the United States
• Military
• History of the United States
• World War II
• États-Unis
• History
• United States Air Force

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 01 juin 1993
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781681624136
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Men of the Airborne
TURNER PUBLISHING COMPANY
T HUNDER F ROM H EAVEN
The 17th Airborne Division insignia with the eagle s golden talon on the black background symbolizes the Airborne s wartime mission - a surprise strike from the darkness of the sky and the grasping of golden opportunities in the battle below.
TURNER PUBLISHING COMPANY
T HE F RONT L INE OF M ILITARY H ISTORY B OOKS
Copyright 1993 Turner Publishing Company
This book or any part there of may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 92-62338 ISBN: 978-1-563 11-097-9
Limited Printing Additional books may be purchased from the publisher.
D EDICATION
To those members of the 17th Airborne Division who, during World War II, died in the service of their country and, to those of the survivors who have since followed them in death.
P ROLOGUE
When our troop train pulled into Hoffman, North Carolina, in mid-April of 1943, I looked out the window and saw a sign that read, Home of the 17th Airborne Division. That was the first hint that I had that I was not heading for an assignment in the Army Air Corps.
During the two days and nights we had been confined in those hot, dirty railway coaches winding and back-tracking our way from the Reception Center, we had all speculated as to where we were bound and what type of unit we would join. With some 500 troops aboard, you had a wide selection of opinions to choose from.
I remember two things from the Reception Center. First, I remember how everyone laughed when they called for volunteers to join the paratroopers. Then, I remembered some interviewer had asked me if I objected to service in the Air Forces. To this I quickly answered, Absolutely not!
Like many young men of my generation, I had always dreamed about flying. Those goggles and white scarfs looked dashing! My dreams, however, had all come crashing down when the local recruiter had turned me down for pilot training because of my faulty eyesight.
Even the Marines and the Navy didn t want me, so only the Army was left as an option. If I had to make the decision today, I wouldn t hesitate to go Airborne, all the way! But, on that day almost 50 years ago, I wasn t overjoyed to see those signs about something called Glider Infantry. I thought what in the world had I done to myself!
My introduction to the 17th Airborne Division wasn t too unlike that of thousands of other young men that spring of 1943. Airborne was still a new concept in warfare and we were elated that we were going to be a part of it. Sure, it was different, but it was exciting and we were young and we rapidly got with the program! The skills and the espirit de corps began to build and we toughened to the task.
Caught up in the excitement of being Airborne, and the idea that we were a notch above the rest of the Army, we were soon molded into an elite fighting force without our really being aware of it. Many a youth became a man in those hot, muggy days at Camp Mackall.
Now, as we mark the 50th Anniversary of the activation of the 17th Airborne Division, we have learned to appreciate the memories of those days. We now realize that those days we spent together and the deeds we did should not be lost to the ravages of time.
The combat history of the 17th Airborne Division has been chronicled elsewhere. This book gets to the heart of our history-the heroic and sometimes humorous incidents the individual soldiers experienced during those adventure-packed years of 1943-1945.
All the stories in this book are true. Although the passage of time may have dimmed the ability to pin-point some of the exact dates, some locales may be a little off and some names have long been forgotten, the events really happened. The stories are about real people in real places and in strange, but real times.
We did take the liberty of cleaning up some of the rough, barracks jargon that spiced our speech in those days! We wanted you to be able to show the book to your wife, your children, and your grandchildren.
I have rewritten most of the stories and put to words others gleaned from notes, letters or taped interviews. However, the final versions have all been checked with our story tellers to ensure their accuracy.
You may notice something else we have done throughout the book. Wherever the word Airborne appears, we have capitalized the word. In many cases this is contrary to the proper use of capital letters, but we felt that due to what that word has come to mean to all of us, it warranted that special recognition. I believe my past English teachers will forgive me!
My only regret is that every story sent to me could not be included. As with any publication, the author must adhere to certain space limitations. In addition, it is important to select a good mix of stories. I feel we have accomplished these goals, but I know it was at the expense of leaving out someone s favorite story. It just couldn t be helped.
A great number of people had a part in making this book. Without the wonderful guys who became our story tellers nothing would have been possible. Then, there were Ed Siergiej, our hard-working association secretary-treasurer and Joe Quade, our newsletter editor, both of whom channeled stories and story tellers to me.
Other association members called facts to my attention, put me in touch with those who had stories to tell, verified locations, names and faces and helped in hundreds of ways. I also received photos, many unpublished until now, from troopers who wanted to be a part of this project. It was, as always, a team effort.
I also appreciate the assistance and support I received from my beloved wife of 47 years, Georgeanna. For over a year I have had my material strung out all over the house, but she never complained and always encouraged me in this endeavor.
It is my hope that this book will live on long after all of us old soldiers are dead and gone. That s the real reason for the book. The zeal we had for the job we did must not be lost in time and forgotten. Whether we realize it or not, we blazed a trail and, I hope, set a standard for elite forces of the future.
AIRBORNE!
Bart Hagerman
C ONTENTS
Dedication
Prologue
Part I The Making Of A Division
The 17th Airborne Is Born
General Bud Miley: The Innerman
Tony Morinelli: Airborne Soldier
The Pigeoneer And The Missing Pigeons
Orders For P.O.E
My Most Unforgettable Jump
The Search For Some Good Home Cooking
The Suicidal Goose
The War Of The Floors
Hassenphfeffer
The Horsa Glider Crash
I Remember Lilly
Enough Thrills For A Lifetime!
Part II The Battle Of The Bulge
Combat Diary
The Bayonet Charge
Night Patrol
A Rebel At The Our
Achtung Minen!
My Battle Of The Bulge
Doing An Alaskan
Practicing Dentistry In The Ardennes
Captured By The Enemy!
The Second Time Around
All In A Day s Work
The Death Of An Enemy Patrol
The Search
Hooten And The Haystack
A Chaplain In Combat
Escape
Bayonets In The Snow
P.O.W
Enemy In Our Ranks
The After-Action Report
Part III Operation Varsity: Over The Rhine
Operation Varsity: A Time For History
The Part-Time Glider Drivers
A Slight Case of Spaghetti
Trouble Over The Rhine
Capture The Flag!
Don t I Know You From Somewhere?
The Troop Carriers Their Glider Tows
A Welcome From Axis Sally
Jumping With General Gavin
You Saved My Life!
My Longest Day
It s A Small World
Just In Time For The Big Show
The 400-Yard Dash!
I Was A Prisoner Of War
The Bronze Star
Jumping Into Germany
Long Road To Munster
My Brother And I Were Airborne
You Are My Prisoner!
First Day Over The Rhine
The Capture Of A War Criminal!
Medic! Medic!
A Letter To Mother
Part IV After The Fighting
The Occupation Of Germany
A Hero In Paris
Captured By The Russians!
The Beginning Of A Long Evening!
Werewolves And DP s
Hunting Werewolves
Days of High Excitement
Where s My Damn Pants!
My Life As A Shavetail
To Europe and Back
Index
P ART I
T HE M AKING O F A D IVISION
THE 17TH AIRBORNE IS BORN
As told by Edward Dorrity 193 HQ 1
We were young.
We were raw.
We were green.
We were scared.
The anxious young faces peering from the train windows were looking out at a strange parched land. Little dust devils danced across the space between the long passenger train and the line of army trucks that stood waiting. There were men in uniform stirring about with a certain impatience. We did not know for sure where we were, but it looked hot. Hot and dry.
The long passenger train came slowly to a stop. Just days before we had been civilians in places like upper New York State, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Our mothers and fathers had said goodbye and we went off into the Army. We had no idea what we were about to get into. We had been inducted into the Army, rushed through an induction center, standing for long periods totally naked. We had been prodded, poked and tested. All of us had scored rather well on certain portions of the Army AGCT test and now we were here, somewhere south of where we started several days ago. The train had barely stopped before orders were shouted and the young men started to gather their belongings and prepared to get off the train.
This is here we slowly began to learn procedure and to obey commands. Fall Out! Form a line alongside the train! Board the trucks! Willing to follow orders, scared of the soldiers who were giving the orders, eager to please we scrambled on the trucks as best we could. All that work made us hot and sweaty, especially in the dark brown, woolen O.D. uniforms. The convoy of trucks loaded with raw recruits started up and rumbled through the warm dust. No one had told us anything yet. All we did was follow orders. We were too much in awe of the situation to do anything else. Now we were about to learn several things.
The trucks had moved in through a development of new single story
There wa