By DELL ARTHUR
They were known as the
greatest generation. This benevolent title was attributed to those men who were
once boys who fought in World War II. With the passage of time accounts of
those men whose exploits saved the world from the vicious dictatorships of
Europe and Japan, slowly fall from memory. Some of these soldiers, sailors,
marines and airmen who were engaged in this conflict were awarded the United
States highest honor—the Congressional Medal of Honor. Yet the heroics of
thousands of combat fighters whose heroic exploits were never recorded shared
an equal place of honor. For others simply living daily under the threat of
death was enough to demonstrate their valor.
But as time passes the memory
of this most horrific war in the history of mankind slowly fades. New wars have
continued since then to the present day but none can match the horrific death
toll of the Second World War. Nor can the experiences of those who battled at
that time be excelled.
The accounts of those
times by the men who suffered the horror of battle are usually unrecorded. Most
that fought those battles were reluctant to recount them and it was only at the
insistence of the wife of one of these heroes that recorded the exploits her
husband experienced and she published in a small book titled, “Private First
Class—A Paratrooper’s Story,” the account of PFC Paul Gitts.
In the prelude she states, “…The worst thing
that can happen is for all of us to just gloss over World War II, as it was a
long time ago, and to tell ourselves that this could never happen again. It can
happen and each time it becomes more deadly. We should never become indifferent
and pretend that it can’t and won’t happen again…”
In 1944 Paul Gitts was
working on the family farm. His older brother just received his draft notice
and being married, he wasn’t anxious to go. There was a provision however, that
men working on farms were needed for the production of food and an exemption from
service would be granted. Since the younger Gitts wasn’t interested in farming
he went to the draft board and volunteered to take his older brothers place
provided the board would allow his brother to take his place on the farm. The
board agreed and Gitts soon found himself a member of the United States Army.
Following basic training
he was assigned to England and a glider training school. The Allied forces had
earlier on June 6, breached Hitler’s “Atlantic Wall” landing at Normandy,
France. The training was accelerated and intense. Gitts, who was trained as an infantry
combat soldier discovered that an Airborne Division was established in England
and men who qualified would be jumping out of Douglas C47’s. Also there was an
increase in pay of $25 over their regular pay for hazardous duty. Attracted to
the idea he quickly volunteered. To be a paratrooper a man was selected for his
toughness and endurance. Gitts displayed both. Following graduation he was
assigned to the 17th Airborne Glider Division. This was one of the most
hazardous assignments a soldier could experience. It was noted that as high as
50 per cent casualties (deaths) could be expected in landing. Yet, like others,
Gitts willingly accepted the risk. But when he had the opportunity to transfer
to the paratroopers he did. Finally after accelerated training his outfit was
ready for the real thing; combat.
Transferred to mainland
Europe Gitts outfit was selected to take the town of Nijmegen, Holland and its
bridge. This turned out to be one of the bitterest battles of the war and
causalities were high. This particular engagement was designed and led by
England’s leading general, Bernard “Monty” Montgomery. It was at Arnmen, the
last bridge to be taken, that the British suffered a humiliating defeat
resulting in losing more than 5,000 men. The Germans retained control of the
town and bridge ending Montgomery’s plan to end the end the war quickly.
When Gitts jumped from
the C47 airplane he was shot in his right hand on his way down. In his book he
recounted hearing the cries and screams of those wounded and dying and bodies
of soldiers hanging limply under their chutes.
On the ground the
fighting was bitter. The town traded between the Germans and Gitts outfit
several times before the 82nd finally secured the assigned bridge.
The battle took six days before English tanks arrived to relieve the
paratroopers and Gitts and his outfit was flown back to England where he
received medical treatment for his hand and to regroup and transfer to France.
It was in France he learned about hedgerow fighting. Hedgerows were used
instead of fences and proved an ideal cover for German machine guns. If a
soldier tried to walk directly across a field he most likely was killed in an
instant. Gitts learned to be savvy in a hurry. This shrewdness would turn out
to save his life a second time.
(To be continued)
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