|
The Krauts made an error, letting me escape. Later I had 27 sure kills. Coincidentally, I had 27 parachute jumps including Normandy and the Rhine jumps. We spent two months in the "Bulge," but we "jumped" out of rattle trucks around Bastogne for that battle.
Finally, at dawn, I dropped inside the churchyard. All was quiet as I entered a small building alongside the church. On a table were a bottle of wine and half a loaf of French bread. I finished them quickly before I realized it was probably the host and wine for Mass. I walked into the large room under the church and found a room full of sleeping kids and two nuns, who bolted upright in bed. Then I made my first mistake of the day. I said, "Je suis americain." They thought I spoke French and replied in French. I interrupted them saying, "No parlez francais." They brought an English speaking Frenchman and the priest. I told them I'd just escaped and asked to be hidden. They said, "Sergeant, if they find you here, they'll kill all of us." So I thanked them and started to walk out. (I learned fifty years later that the town had been occupied by an S.S. Panzer Division.) The Frenchman said to follow him and hid me in a barn in the back of the churchyard. He was preparing to leave when I told him, "Mangez!" He brought me a poor boy sandwich and a bottle filled with milk. I climbed up in the hay and went to sleep. I heard P-47s overhead, it was 2PM. and I'd had a good nap. The planes were going after the tanks that were nestled near the church. Each P-47 had two 500-pound bombs. The third bomb blew all the shingles off the roof of my building. I now had a seat on the 50-yard line. In total there were eight P-47s that dropped 16 bombs. When the moon went in at 11PM, the Frenchman brought me a map and showed me where the Americans were. I asked him if he had a weapon for me, but he didn't. I asked permission to take a hatchet I'd spied in the churchyard. He nodded. I went to war with a hatchet.
I crossed a road that was loaded with traffic. After I made it across, I headed south on the railroad tracks. I walked along a branch of a river and heard coughing all along the tree-lined banks. My imagination pictured a whole German Army coughing, but daylight proved it to be cows coughing up their cuds. Did I feel foolish at daybreak!
I saw a training film where the soldiers cut the telephone wires so that the enemy would come out and repair them. In this case, I envisioned, I would kill the German and get his weapon. So I climbed the pole, cut the wires with my trusty hatchet, and waited. Nothing happened! The lines had probably been bombed out for weeks.
Just then a squadron of American planes flew over and bombed Valognes. I worried about the children, but learned later that their church was not touched.
My hunger was growing to serious proportions so I approached a farmhouse and observed. When a man came out, I called him over and showed him the American flag on my shoulder. I made an eating motion with my right hand. He invited me in and gave me a bowl of hot cream of wheat. He told me that three of my comrades were in the woods nearby. Being suspicious, I told him to go to them and bring back a note. He left and returned with a note by Sgt. Henrichs, 504th Parachute Regiment. I told the Frenchman to lead me to them, warning him not to lead me into a trap because I would be right behind him and bury the hatchet in the back of his head. (What a way to show my gratitude!)
I met up with the three comrades: Sgt Henrichs; a corporal; and a private named Eddie who was from New Jersey. I discovered later that this private was the best combat soldier. I told them that this was my first combat and I knew that this was their third combat. I suggested that perhaps one of them should lead us. They answered that since I was getting paid for the job, I should lead. I advised them if we had time to discuss strategy, we would, otherwise I would expect them to comply, if they didn't, I'd kill them. We were seven miles from American lines and couldn't afford any mistakes. I didn't want to be a prisoner again!
The first thing they asked was if I knew demolitions. They'd been told that "London" had instructed the French underground to silence a German radio tower. Neither the French, nor the 504th men knew how to handle the explosives. That night, D+1, the 504th men cut the German radio operators' throats. Meanwhile I set the composition "C" charges and blew up the 150 foot steel tower. I was hoping Hitler would hear it in Berlin. The French were so happy with that feat; they had a celebration party out in the woods. Finally, there was plenty to eat. When we finished eating, Eddie leaned and said, "Now bring on the Mademoiselles!" A half hour later, four girls from town appeared. We dispersed to the edges of a field and made out. Afterwards, the 504th guys shared their prophylactics.
That night the head of the FFI, (Free French of the Interior), came out to tell us our girls had gone back and told the Germans where we were. So we immediately moved to another location. (On an "Angela Hill" show commemorating D-Day's 50th anniversary, I told this story. When my son, Carey, a pilot for Continental Airlines, heard this story, he said, "Dad, if you made love to a woman, and she then told someone to kill you, please don't repeat the story. You must be a lousy lover!") The next morning we prepared to go find our units. The same French kid who had procured the girls for us went off to fill our canteens. He came running back from the chateau and told me "Boche!" "Cinq?" I asked, showing five fingers. "Dix," he told me. I turned to my men and told them the chateau had the best water in Normandy, but that there were ten Krauts there. Eddie said, "Lets go get the water, if the Krauts get in our way, it'll be their bad luck." I told the French kid, "Show me Boche." He led us into a barn and pointed to a high window. I jumped up on the haymow and peered through the window. Below, lying on the grass were the ten Germans, smoking and eating. I jumped down and told Eddie, "Take the kid with you to the hedgerow, and toss a grenade." When I saw his land, I dropped my grenade out the window. The Germans were not well trained. Instead of rolling on the ground, away from the grenades, they jumped up. By now, I was armed with a .32 revolver, so I leaned out the window and started firing. The German got off one shot at me. When I saw him aiming at me, I ducked knowing he had to lever another cartridge back in the chamber. I aimed at him and pulled the trigger, but to no avail. I was out of ammo. While I was watching the German, a hole appeared in his steel helmet. Eddie shot an armor-piercing slug through his head. I yelled, "Hundes hoch, weiderschund ist zinloss." Their sergeant repeated, "Hundes hoch," and they all raised their hands. I ran outside, grabbed a rifle, levered a fresh cartridge into the chamber. I ordered the Germans who could move, to drag the wounded ones into the courtyard. We went through their pockets and took their sardines. I took the sergeant's Chemise. I considered it one of the best weapons of the war.
|
