With James "Maggie" Megellas to Afghanistan
From December 18 till 28 2007 Jim "Maggie"Megellas
(almost 91 years old) visited the troops in Afghanistan. “Our and
your boys have the right to be supported. To me it's better than sitting
home.”
I had the privilege to accompany him.
An experience I will never forget in my life time.
I can't imagine that there are people who are pro-war but if a country
decides to sent her young men and women to a war they deserve the support
from the ones who stay at home.
In my opinion it would be a good experience for a lot of people to have a look behind the scenes and see what tremendous job their boys and girls do under very difficult circumstances.
Ten years ago James decided to write his WWII memoirs in the book ’All the Way to Berlin’ . As a platoon leader of the 82nd Airborne Division he took part of so many combat actions during WWII (the landing at Anzio, the battle at Monte Cassino, Market Garden - Waal crossing) , The Battle of the Bulge) it's a miracle he survived.My hell on earth took place as I acquired my skills as a combat leader. The day was Sept. 20, 1944; the unit was the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Abn. Div. The operation was Market Garden. With the Red Devils, who were British paratroopers, trapped behind enemy lines in Arnhem, Holland, the 82nd was tasked with capturing a key bridge on the Waal River near Nijmegen, Holland. Elements of the 504th crossed the Waal River in boats during the middle of the day to capture the bridge. As paratroopers paddling across a river was never part of our repertoire. Under a barrage of small-arm, machine gun and indirect fire, the “Devils in Baggy Pants” made the crossing. As we landed on the other side of the river, we were faced with 500-800 yards of open, flat land before our objective, which was a dike. There was only one option: Charge into the dike, charge into the gunfire. I saw a lot of boys giving their personal belongings like watches, to others saying they won't need them anymore at the place were they were about to go to.
57 days in combat without pause. Experienced terrible things. The writing of the book helped me a lot. I don't know what is the reason but after writing the book I was able to go back to Germany. I was welcomed like a hero. Very very strange and moving too. Also Italy. Belgium and Holland. During 60 year I didn't and since the last few years I've been back several times. Among the places I visited was Eindhoven. A very nice and friendly town.
Of course I don't like it there is another war going on and 60 years later other US boys and girls die in combat far away from home. At the other side we are the nation that has to beat terrorism. In Europe there have been terrorist attacks but nothing like 9-11. During WWII we fought for democracy. Now our troops do the same in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Dutch military
Staff at Kandahar welcomed us very warm and took care for us during the
next few days in a very special way. We were treated like VIPS's.
It was a huge coincidence that the barrack we stayed in was called the
Anzio Inn. During the first days of WWII he fought in Anzio Italy.
The man on the right (photo above) played in the movie 'A Bridge to Far"
so he was very surprised he met some one who made the real Waal Crossing
so many years ago.
Right above: The Dutch like jokes. I found this crate saying: "This is not a donut stand". A Dutch scene in Afghanistan.
Left: Reality in a War Zone. Christmas Time
James wanted to spend Christmas with the troops. During WWII he spend two Christmases in combat with the 82nd ABD.
The first one was on a mountain named Sammucro in in Italy,while right between enemy and friendly fire. On a rock in the cold.
They were so hungry on that cold Christmas night in the trenches that he and his Soldiers happily ate bread soggy from the sweat of a donkey. The bread was baked fresh in a nearby village but delivered via donkeys over treacherous terrain. By the time it arrived, the donkeys had worked so hard that the bread was totally soaked.
But after days of K-rations the warmed it on a small fire and ate it like it was a X-ma's meal.
After 19 days they were relieved. 54 KIA, 226 WIA en 2 MIA was the high
price the 504rd had paid during these 19 days.
After being relieved they had 'normal' food for the first time in 19 days
under very heavy circumstances and numerous K-rations.
They also were able to read the post they received from home because
that never was brought to the front.
In the Stars and Stripes he read that Eisenhower had written to the families
in the US that the men were taking care of very well and they all had
Turkey for X-mas.
You can imagine James' reaction.
In Afghanistan he told the troops that so many years later, he wanted
to eat Turkey for X-mas with the 82nd ABD. The Division he fought with
during WWII
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