504th PIR Paratrooper awarded Silver Star for actions under enemy fire

An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper was awarded the Silver Star May 1 for gallantry in action while leading his platoon through an enemy stronghold in the Al Fadhil neighborhood of Baghdad.
  Sgt. 1st Class Michael Onstine, platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, distin­guished himself with valor Sept. 30, 2007, during Operation Rustum when his platoon twice came under overwhelming fire and grenade attacks attempting to capture or disrupt high value al-Qaida targets.
  While conducting a raid on the Kha Tun Mosque and an adjacent house, the enemy initiated a firefight with small-arms fire, according to Onstine. He said the platoon returned fire when shrapnel from an enemy grenade ripped through the back of both of his legs and shoulder. Onstine refused medical treatment, elect­ing to remain with his platoon until the enemy broke contact and other wounded paratroopers had been evacuated.
  “It was a long evening because it was the first evening and I got hit by grenade shrapnel,” said Onstine. “I was just thinking who’s in contact and what are we doing to take care of it? Focusing on the mission and how best to attack the enemy.”
  The evening wasn’t over as Onstine’s platoon had a follow­on mission when they were again ambushed receiving heavy small- arms fire and grenade attacks from three separate positions as they approached their target’s house. Three paratroopers, an Iraqi interpreter and a human intelli­gence source were immediately wounded.
  “I’m reacting by calling sup­porting teams by fire and calling for medics,” Onstine said.
  Onstine and the platoon medic rushed to the aid of a wounded paratrooper as enemy rounds were impacting around them. Onstine remained completely exposed in an alley providing cover fire so the wounded could be moved and ordering massing fire on enemy positions.
  “I had to expose myself to get visibility of the situation and devise a plan to leave the area while the rounds were hitting the wall inches away from me,” Onstine explained.
  When it became clear support would not reach the paratroop­ers still pinned down, Onstine volunteered to stay behind cov­ering his platoon’s withdrawal engaging nearly 20 insurgents with his M4 and grenades.
  “ He’s always been an out­standing guy, always there for his Soldiers,” complimented Spc. Wesley Ingraham, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 504th PIR.
  Onstine said he believed it was a successful mission because it led to the eventual capture of enemy combatants by fighting, killing and pushing the enemy out of their comfort zone. He also praised his platoon saying the men were chosen for the main effort of this operation because of how they performed under fire during previous missions.
“It’s a great platoon and this ceremony also recognizes their efforts,” Onstine said. “I would gladly give the medal back if I could get Sergeant Christopher Casselman and Sergeant Shawn Smith ( who were injured in the ambush) healthy and back in the platoon.”
  Onstine, like many other dec­orated veterans said he didn’t know whether his actions deserved receiving the Silver Star because he felt he was just doing his job, however, others believe Onstine is well-deserv­ing.
  “My Soldiers were with him in contact and they say he did an outstanding job,” said Capt. Eric Schnabel, commander of HHC, 1st Bn., 504th PIR. “He’s a true combat veteran and leader from the front.”

82nd AB most decorated inducted to The Order of Saint Maurice

LTC James ‘Maggie’ Megellas, the most decorated officer of the 82^nd Airborne Division, received the prestigious medallion of the Primicerius (Highest Level), awarded by the National Infantry Association and the Chief of Infantry of the United States Army for outstanding contributions to the infantry.’

“This man is an example for all infantry men and women serving in the US Army,” said MG(ret) Jerry White, President of the National Infantry Association, as he presented Megellas his award.

The infantry medallion is named after the leader of the Roman Theban Legion, Saint Maurice, in the 3rd century. It is awarded to officers, noncommissioned officers, and special nominees who have made a significant contribution to the infantry.

Maggie (as his fellow troopers called him) was awarded more than 20 medals including The Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, Presidential Citation w/cluster, Belgium Fouragere, 6 Campaign Stars, and Master Parachutist for his WWII service.

He was selected by General James Gavin, as the most outstanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division to receive the Netherlands, “Military Order of Willhelm Orange Lanyard” from the Dutch Minister of War in Berlin in 1945, the first American decorated by the Government of Holland. Among his most notable battles were in the Italian mountains near Venafro, the beach landing at Anzio, the jump into Holland (Operation Market Garden), the famous crossing of the Waal River under heavy German machine gun fire in broad daylight (subject of the “A Bridge too Far” movie) and the Battle of the Bulge.

Maggie commanded H. Company 504 PIR in the occupation of Berlin and led his Company, the only Company he served with during the entire war, down 5th Ave. in New York in the Victory Parade in January 1946. For his leadership and heroic action in capturing the town of Herresbach, Belgium, Jim was recommended to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

On January 31, 2007 Congressman Thomas Petri of Wisconsin introduced a bill (H.R 795) in the United States House of Representatives to authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Megellas of Colleyville, Texas for acts of valor on January 28, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The bill is presently in the Committee on Armed Services awaiting future action.

It’s that ‘foxhole mentality’

Retired Lt. Col. James Megellas calls it “foxhole mentality,” that which drives Soldiers “to go where the fight is.” This weekend, Megellas said, the fight is at Fort Benning, where 28 two-man teams will battle for the title of Best Ranger.

Megellas flew in from his home in Texas earlier this week to meet with the competitors, and this weekend, he’ll follow their progress throughout the three-day, 60-hour competition. It’s the first time the 91-year-old has visited the post since 1943, when he attended Airborne School here.

Back then, it was called Parachute School, Megellas said, and it was where a young Soldier with that foxhole mentality needed to be if he hoped to see action in Europe.

“I volunteered because I wanted to be where the decisive action was taking place. The decisive action doesn’t take place behind a desk. I wanted be with the guys who did the fighting,” he said. “I was told the quickest way to get there was to go to Fort Benning to the Parachute School.”

Megellas’ training served him well. During the three years he spent with 82nd Airborne Division, he fought on the beach at Anzio, jumped into Holland, participated in the Waal River crossing made famous in A Bridge Too Far, and saw more than 60 days of combat in the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded more than 10 medals and was recommended for a Medal of Honor.

Megellas commanded the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment’s H Company during the occupation of Berlin and later, in 1945, he was the first American to receive the Military Order of Willhelm Orange Lanyard from the Dutch Minister of Berlin.

Today, he is credited as the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. But, he said, he’s got nothing on the Soldiers he’s met during his recent travels to Afghanistan.

“They say we set the standard, my generation — the Greatest Generation. I say each generation raises the bar just a little bit higher,” he said. “We were the best of our generation. They are the best of their generation. We’re cut from the same cloth. We share the same values. We share the same desire to go where the fight is — that same foxhole mentality.”

Megellas chronicled his combat experience in All the way to Berlin. He signed copies of the book Tuesday at a private reception in Columbus for the Best Ranger competitors.

As he does when he gets a chance to visit with troops in combat, Megellas spoke to the Rangers about leadership.

“If I have one message for Soldiers today, it’s all about leadership — leadership at the squad and platoon level,” he said. “That’s the highest level of leadership in mortal combat. It’s not the commander. It’s not the colonel. At that point, they’re being led by sergeants. There’s a lot that’s changed in the last sixty years, but that hasn’t changed.”

82nd Airborne to be quick-reaction force

The Army’s 82nd Airborne Division will reclaim its role as the nation’s quick-reaction force in 2009, again keeping a unit on alert and ready to jump into combat anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

“Afghanistan and Iraq command our attention now, but something can happen anywhere in the world,” said Philip Crowley, a senior fellow and director of homeland security at the Washington-based Center for American Progress. “The mission is still valid. We have to have a force that can react rapidly.”

A brigade from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division took over as the country’s quick-reaction force last year, after all four of the 82nd’s 3,500-solider brigades deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Three of the four have since returned to their home base at Fort Bragg; the 1st brigade remains on duty in southern Iraq.

The last 82nd unit to serve as the “division-ready brigade” was the 2nd, which was the first unit sent into Iraq last year as part of the surge that added 30,000 troops to the U.S. forces there.

Division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt said the mission is considered a core responsibility of the 82nd and its paratroopers, all of whom are trained to rapidly deploy on short notice.

“The 82nd is a battle-tested and experienced team,” Earnhardt said. “The ability to meet the global response mission requires experience and creativity, but it is a mission all of us enthusiastically embrace. It’s part of our identity as a unit.”

Past ready responsiblity

In past years, the 82nd rotated the ready responsibility among the division’s brigades each quarter. When the 82nd takes back the mission in June 2009, one brigade will instead serve on alert for an entire year. Observers said that change is another example of how the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have stretched the Army to its limits.

“Almost every decision the Army is making about its forces is being driven by the situation in Iraq,” said Loren Thompson, a military analyst at the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. “This force is stretched so thin it really lacks a reserve to cope with a big threat elsewhere.”

The move to return the ready responsibilities to Fort Bragg comes as the 101st Airborne took over for the 82nd on Thursday as the command unit of American forces in eastern Afghanistan.

Having completed their 15-month tour, approximately 100 paratroopers from the 82nd’s division headquarters unit — including division commander Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez — are expected back at Fort Bragg today.

And while it’s been nearly 20 years since the 82nd has parachuted into combat, Rodriguez and the paratroopers returning home will soon return to the base’s drop zone for practice jumps, readying themselves for the short-notice duty of conducting a “forcible entry” from the sky.

“It provides commanders with the capability to react quickly to developing situations without altering ongoing operations,” Earnhardt said. “Our own chief of staff of the Army has described our Army as out of balance. The ability to resume and maintain this strategic global capability is a step in resuming balance.”

100 troops home from Afghanistan

Marissa Capel figured her husband wanted to stop by his office Friday morning upon returning to Fort Bragg after 15 months in Afghanistan.

She had other plans for Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Capel, the top noncommissioned officer in the 82nd Airborne Division.

“I plan to take him straight home and cook him some good dinner,” she said.

Capel and Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, were among about 100 soldiers who arrived at Pope Air Force Base’s Green Ramp.

Amy Rodriguez was on hand to welcome her father home.

“We’re just really proud of him and glad to have him back,” she said. “I know he has worked really hard, so I just hope he can spend some time with the family like he’s probably been wanting to. He’s like everybody else that’s been out there working hard.” Her father said he is coming home to a wedding, two graduations and “probably a move” in coming months.

The returnees were mostly older staff officers, career soldiers, whose families are used to seeing them come and go. But when the first soldiers stepped off the airplane, the cheers and applause erupted as loudly as any homecoming.

The troopers seemed weary as they marched off the airplane after almost a full day or traveling. With jet lag from the time change, their bodies were telling them at 10 a.m. that it was about suppertime.

Gen. Charles Campbell, commanding general of Forces Command in Atlanta, Ga., welcomed the soldiers home. The 82nd Airborne Division Band played patriotic songs. Red-white-and-blue helium balloons bobbed at the roof of the cavernous passenger shelter.

“A lot of changes in 15 months, but the warmth of the family and friends back here at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fayetteville and the surrounding communities endures,” Rodriguez told the crowd from the podium. “When we come back to Green Ramp, you make sure we know we are all home.”

The division commander hailed family members who drove children to sports practices and helped high school seniors chose college while the soldiers were gone.

Rodriguez has been commander of Combined Joint Task Force 82 since February 2007. He was in charge of NATO’s Regional Command East with 14 provinces in eastern Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. The task force had about 32,000 people, including airmen, sailors, Marines and civilians, he said. A Polish battle group worked in the sector.

The 82nd Airborne Division headquarters this week turned over responsibility for Regional Command East to Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser and the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky. The transfer marked the first time since World War II that the two divisions replaced each other on the battlefield, International Security Assistance Force officials said.

“The challenges for the 101st are the same challenges we were faced with,” Rodriguez said. “They’ve got a long way to go to economically develop the country. They’ve got to continue to grow the governance. On the security front, they’ve got the same challenges on both sides of the border, in Pakistan, crossing and back and forth, and then in Afghanistan.”

The C-17 cargo jet from Charleston, S.C., also carried Brig. Gens. Rodney Anderson and Joseph Votel, the division’s deputy commanders.

About 250 paratroopers from the 82nd’s 4th Brigade Combat Team will return to Fort Bragg at 2 a.m. Sunday after a 15-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Among those returning will be the brigade commander, Col. Martin Schweitzer, and Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Flowers.

The 4th Brigade Combat Team presented the Silver Star Medal to Spc. Monica Brown, the second female since World War II to receive the award, for her actions as a combat medic during an ambush in April 2007. The brigade had 16 deaths over 15 months.

Staff photos by Marc Hall

Sgt. Maj. Curtis Regan appears happy to see his daughter, 8-month-old Lauren, and wife, Shelley, after arriving at Pope Air Force Base on Friday. About 100 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division returned from a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan.

Michele Votel welcomes the plane carrying her husband, Brig. Gen. Joseph Votel.

Capt. Tasha Jones is greeted by her parents, Harry and Lucy Jones, at Pope Air Force Base’s Green Ramp on Friday.

Rodriguez

Navy SEAL Mickey Monsoor to receive Medal of Honor for Iraq heroism

A California-based SEAL who threw his body on a grenade to save his comrades in Iraq will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor, a Defense Department official has confirmed.Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor, of Garden Grove, Calif., was holed up on the roof of a Ramadi house with three other SEALs on Sept. 29, 2006, when an insurgent grenade landed nearby.

Monsoor, a 25-year old with SEAL Team 3, grabbed the grenade and clutched it to his chest. The blast killed him, but his actions, officials said at the time, saved the men on the rooftop.

Monsoor will be the second member of the Navy to receive the Medal of Honor since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, and the first sailor to receive it for combat in Iraq.

Michael Fumento, who’s written about Monsoor and combat operations in Ramadi, reported on his Internet blog over the weekend that Monsoor’s family would receive the posthumous award on the fallen SEAL’s behalf during a White House ceremony April 8.

A Defense Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the award had been approved.

“We understand the decision has been made to give that award,” the official said Monday. However, it’s not clear when the medal would be presented by President Bush, as is tradition, and the White House hasn’t yet made any announcement.

“[The date is] very likely to change,” the Pentagon official said.

A spokeswoman at the Navy Office of Information referred questions to the White House. A call to the White House press office was not immediately returned.

Monsoor, a platoon machine gunner, had received the Silver Star, the third-highest award for combat valor, for his actions pulling a wounded SEAL to safety during a May 9, 2006, firefight in Ramadi.

Interview part II with LTC James Megellas

We return to the men of the 82nd Airborne Division in late September 1944, after the capture of the bridge at Nijmegen, Holland – a battle whose story one CBS war correspondent declared “should be told to the blowing of bugles and the beating of drums for the men whose bravery made [it] possible.” But in its wake would come even greater trials: the Battle of the Bulge, and finally, the march on Berlin.

Interviews
Real Media (Part One March 16, 2007) Real Media (Part Two March 06, 200

504th PIR first in Iraq to perform sling load operation using Osprey

In February, paratroopers from Distribution Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division became the first Army unit in Iraq to con­duct sling load operations with the V- 22 Osprey.
They conducted the oper­ation with the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing — the “ Thunder Chickens.”
“ To be able to work with the Marine Corps as part of a joint training exercise was a unique opportunity for our paratroopers. Sling loading with an Osprey was a high- payoff event that I will never forget,” said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Bowers, the platoon sergeant of the distribution platoon, other­wise known as the “ Workhorse Team.”
Over the past few months, the unit has been developing its capabilities to project supplies via external load and this training served as the cul­minating exercise.
Paratroopers executed the sling load training using 4,400 pound water blivets and rotated through the hook- up, static discharge and signal man positions.
In all, the two aircraft conducted ten lifts allow­ing more than 26 para­troopers to rotate through the ground team duties.
Before working with the aircraft, paratroopers con­ducted rehearsals using the crane on the M- 1074 palletized load system.
This proved to be a great way to validate the rigging and hook procedures, but in no way prepared the teams for the rotor wash from the V- 22.
The load masters instructed the paratroopers to be prepared for a rotor wash similar to the CH- 53.
Since none of them had any experience with the CH- 53, they let their expe­rience with both the UH- 60 and CH- 47 serve as a refer­ence point.
During the first lift, the Osprey proved the para­troopers’ assumption dead wrong.
The rotor wash from the Osprey was much greater than that of the CH- 47 the Soldiers in the platoon had worked with in the past.
“ I was hovering above the ground,” said Spc. Jason King.
Fortunately, the unit had planned to use additional personnel in the hook- up teams to coach and direct the younger paratroopers.
This enabled the coaches to also serve as “ tethers” where they could focus on keeping the paratroopers stable while the paratroop­ers executed the task at hand.
This training provided the Workhorse Team an additional combat enabler in their execution of sus­tainment operations.
The exercise also served to develop a relationship with a sister service that brings a significant capa­bility to the area of opera­tions.
The end result proved to be an outstanding training event that certified both the flight crews and 2nd Bn., 504th PIR’s logistics specialists.

Paratroopers attach a blivet to the V- 22 Osprey during a rare opportunity to conduct sling load operations with a Marine
unit – the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263. The Soldiers executed the sling load training using 4,400 pound water
blivets and rotated through the hook- up, static discharge and signal man positions of the training. They rehearsed for this
event using the crane on the M- 1074 Palletized Load System

Christmas with the Troops in Afghanistan…

On December 13, 2007 I departed, by myself, from Dallas Texas, which would start the beginning of my International “Books for the Troops Tour”. On December 12^th, the day before I left I had a book signing at DFW Airport where I autographed and personalized 150 books for our troops deploying to Iraq. Random House, my publisher, has donated 3,504 of my books (3rd Battalion, 504 Parachute Infantry Regiment, my old outfit). Which I will be signing and personalizing and giving to our soldiers at various bases in various counties.

My plane was met in Amsterdam, Holland by my friend Alex, President of the Market Garden Commemorative Committee, who accompanied me in 2006 to Afghanistan and would accompany me once again on this trip. Our first stop was in Schinnen Garrison, which turned out to be an exciting event, and well received by the troops. On December 19th we left for Afghanistan on a Royal Dutch Air Force DC 10 landing in Kandahar. Once in country I meet with and signed books for our young soldiers at five different locations: Kandahar, Bagram, Kabul, FOB (forward operation base) Salerno and Jalalabad. The response everywhere was heartwarming and at times overwhelming. The distance and the time involved in getting there for Christmas were well worth the effort.

War observes no one’s holidays for any of the combatants regardless of notations on the calendar. Christmas like any other observed holiday was like any other for our troops in Afghanistan with respect to their mission of stopping the advance of Muslim extremists.

Yet Christmas does have special meaning for our troops in a distant land in a foreign environment where Christmas is not observed. It is a time of reflection remembering Christmases past, our families and loved ones. Above all, a longing to be with them but duty to country calls them elsewhere.

I recall my three Christmases overseas in WW II, the mountains of Italy 1943; Belgium and the Battle of the Bulge 1944 and Germany 1945.

“Christmas Eve night was calm, cold and serene. The battlefield had been relatively quiet that day—no patrols, no enemy contact—but the normal amount of artillery fire had been coming in and going out passing over our heads. Back in the valley the support troops were attending church services. In between the crackling of shells over our heads, we could hear the Christmas carolers. The strains of “Silent Night” were echoing through the valley and drifting to the mountaintops. As I strained to hear the voices, between artillery shells, I clearly recognized the carols “Silent Night” and “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful”. They left me with an empty and eerie feeling. Christmas services were behind us proclaiming the birth of the Savior, and Germans were in front of us; like us, they had one purpose—kill their fellow man, the enemy in front of them”—Mt Sammucro, Italy, 1943 “All The Way to Berlin”.

Afghanistan 2007 was my fourth Christmas with the 82d Airborne Division in a combat zone, albeit 62 years later. I distinctly remember those Christmases as will our troops in Afghanistan will long remember this and other Christmases in the service of our country in foreign lands.

Christmas, however, did not go unobserved by our troops. The dining facilities and offices were well decorated in the same way Christmases are observed everywhere by Christians.

Having Christmas dinner with the troops in the field was something special. It was a fulfilling experience for me and from the reaction from our troops, for them as well. Spending Christmas with someone they could identify with from WW II was appreciated.

The highlights of my visit included flying with General David Rodriguez, 82d Airborne Division Commander and Command Sergeant Major Thomas Capel on Christmas Day to visit the troops at FOB Salerno and Jalalabad and the dinner with General Dan McNeil, Multinational Task Force Commander and General Officers from Allied Countries in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)

The Allied forces have made visible, measurable progress since my first visit to Afghanistan 24 months ago. The Afghanistan forces have greatly improved and are increasingly involved in actions against the insurgents. However, the Taliban remains a force to be reckoned with and in some areas, particularly South of Kandahar, have actually gained strength.

A number of our troops serving in Afghanistan are in their third or fourth tours with the possibility of more in the future. Unlike WW II where we served for the “duration”, our troops in the war against terror are in “for the duration, one tour at a time.

Although this was my second trip to Afghanistan like the previous one almost two years ago I found the same determination, motivation and dedication to getting the job done. At every occasion I expressed the gratitude of the American people and how proud we are of our young men and women answering the call to preserve the values we hold dear. I noted, they are the “best of their generation”.

I carried out a busy schedule autographing copies of my book, “All The Way to Berlin” donated by Random House, meeting flight schedules and making over 20 speeches. On December 30^th I started my return trip back to Dallas. I flew with five different planes on five different airlines, three military a Canadian C-130, a British C-130 and a Royal Dutch DC 10. The two commercial airlines were the British Airways to London and American Airlines to Dallas. The total time for the trip including cancellations, layovers and delays took three days, but it did not detract from the success of the trip and I was happy for the opportunity to go.

Megellas travels to war zone to sign copies of his book

Retired Lt. Col. James Megellas spent Christmas in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division.

It was the fourth Christmas he has spent in a war zone — but just the first since World War II.

This time, instead of fighting, Megellas spent two weeks in Afghanistan signing free copies of his World War II memoir “All the Way to Berlin.”

He traveled to Kandahar, Bagram and Kabul. He spent Christmas with troops in Forward Operating Base Salerno near Khost and at a base outside of Jalalabad.

Megellas, one of the most decorated soldiers in 82nd history, was a platoon leader in H Company, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II. He was awarded more than 10 medals including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

Megellas said he gave many speeches, including a Christmas speech where he urged the soldiers to remember that while they are away from home, they are with their second family.

“A bond is created between troops that is stronger than brotherhood,” Megellas said.

This was his second trip to Afghanistan. In February, Megellas plans to take thousands of copies of his book to the paratroopers in Iraq.

‘Mijn boek heeft me veel geholpen’

For my Dutch Friends a Dutch article about my trip to Afghanistan:

EINDHOVEN - Met in zijn reistas een paar duizend boeken vertrekt de Amerikaan James Megellas vandaag vanaf Eindhoven Airport naar Afghanistan, om Nederlandse en Amerikaanse troepen een hart onder de riem te gaan steken.

James Megellas. foto Kees Martens

Dat lijkt een hele onderneming voor een man die in maart volgend jaar 91 hoopt te worden, maar Megellas heeft er zin in. “Onze én jullie jongens hebben die steun nodig. Da’s beter dan thuis stilzitten.”Het boek dat de vroegere luitenant-kolonel Megellas gaat uitdelen, heeft hij zelf geschreven (’All the Way to Berlin’) en handelt over zijn eigen ervaringen in WO II. Megellas heeft destijds als pelotonscommandant van de 82e Airbornedivisie zó veel actie gezien (de landing bij Anzio, de strijd om Monte Cassino, het Ardennenoffensief, Market Garden) dat het een wonder is dat hij dat allemaal overleefd heeft.”Vooral Market Garden was verschrikkelijk. In kleine canvas bootjes in de eerste aanvalsgolf de Waal over bij Nijmegen, onder zwaar Duits vuur. 57 dagen onafgebroken in actie geweest, en vreselijke dingen zien gebeuren.”

Zodanig zelfs dat hij, na terugkeer in Amerika, zestig jaar lang niet meer terug durfde te gaan naar de landen waar hij gevochten had. Maar tien jaar geleden besloot hij ineens om het allemaal op schrift te stellen. “En dat heeft me fantastisch geholpen. Hoe het kan weet ik niet, maar na dat boek kon ik ineens weer wél terug. Naar Duitsland, waar ik als een held werd ontvangen: heel vreemd én ontroerend, en Italië, België, Nederland. Eerst durfde ik zestig jaar niet; nu ben ik in de laatste drie jaar al vijf keer hier geweest. Onder andere hier in Eindhoven, dat vind ik een prettige stad.”

Megellas is zeer welkom in Afghanistan, waar de Amerikanen én de Nederlanders de zeer zwaar gedecoreerde oud-militair naar eigen zeggen goed kennen. “Veel van die jongens hebben het boek gelezen. Natuurlijk vind ik het niet prettig dat er, ruim zestig jaar na de oorlog, nóg steeds zoveel Amerikaanse jongens sterven op slagvelden ver van huis.”

“Aan de andere kant: wíj zijn de natie die de terroristen moeten hebben. Er zijn in Europa ook afschuwelijke aanslagen geweest, maar zoiets als nine eleven is hier niet voorgekomen. Daarom moeten wij als Amerikanen het voortouw nemen. Wij vochten destijds voor het herstel van de democratie; nu doen die jongens in Afghanistan en Irak hetzelfde. Waarom the Lord dat allemaal zo beschikt heeft weet ik niet, ik ken de antwoorden op zulke vragen niet. Maar het moet wél gebeuren. De democratie mag nooit bedreigd worden.”

WWII Author Impresses Troops

It was one of the most inspirational holiday gifts he could have given

—Lt. Col.(Ret.) James Megellas, the 82nd Airborne’s most decorated officer and author of the book All the Way to Berlin, told Tri-Border Soldiers and Airmen that they have “raised the bar” of military service.

“The caliber and quality of the men and women serving in America’s forces today is every bit as good as the Soldiers. I served with in WWII,” Megellas said proudly.
“You’ve taken the standards we set and raised the bar even higher!”

Megellas met Soldiers and Airmen from around the Tri-Border area during a visit to the Schinnen Bookmark, Dec.18. Megellas holds the Distinguished Service Cross,Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, plus several other awards of valor for infantry action in WWII, including combat in Operation Market Garden.

While at Schinnen, Megellas gave away free copies of his WWII memoir to Soldiers and took time to autograph dozens more for fans who patiently stood in line just for the chance to shake his hand.

Staff Sgt. Brian Cottell, a former member of the 101st Airborne currently serving with Schinnen’s Military Police, was one of the first in line to meet Megellas. Instantly, Megellas recognized the distinctive “Screamin’ Eagle” patch of the 101st Airborne on Cottell’s shoulder.

It was as if the two had known each other for years. They exchanged stories for a few minutes,then Megellas inscribed a personal message to Cottell. “This is the bond Soldiers share, no matter where or when they serve,” Megellas smiled. Later, he shared stories with the audience about the experiences of WWII that solidified those relationships. “Soldiers in combat develop relationships that are stronger than brotherhood. What’s behind you or what’s ahead is not important. It’s who you’re with that’s important,” he explained.

14-year old ROTC Cadet Cody Whittenburg from AFNORTH International School found Megellas’ stories captivating. It caused him think about the sacrifices Soldiers make.

The story that stuck in his mind was one Megellas told about being so hungry on a 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.

Stories like that one made Staff Sgt. Adam Rosenlund, Schinnen Military Police, think of his grandparents. Both his maternal grandparents served in WWII, then married after the war. “It was really nice to meet someone from their era,” he said. “Because we’re loosing more and more Soldiers from that time, it’s really important to get as much information from them now so we can always remember what they did,” Rosenlund said.

Rosenlund was most impressed that Megellas at age 90 was still dedicated to serving the needs of today’s military. At Schinnen, Megellas was only getting started. That afternoon, he boarded a flight headed east to spend the holidays with Soldiers downrange. —text by Sarah J. Schmidt

Beyond The Call Of Duty

War hero and Fond du Lac native son James Megellas is headed back to the war zone with a new mission: Signing copies of his book for troops stationed overseas.

Megellas, 90, recently returned to his home in Colleyville, Texas, after a two-week book signing tour in Afghanistan where he talked with troops and gave away free copies of his World War II memoir “All the Way to Berlin.”

Next month, he will head overseas to visit troops in Iraq.

When Megellas first visited Afghanistan in 2006, soldiers kept asking for copies of his book and he quickly ran out. When he returned, he worked with Random House to donate thousands of copies of the book to U.S. troops stationed overseas.

Working with the USO and others, he gave away and signed hundreds of copies of “All the Way to Berlin” during his tour of Afghanistan.

“He’s a living legend. It’s absolutely astonishing that at 90 years of age, he continues to provide leadership, his time and his talents to the next generation,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac.

Petri introduced legislation in 2007 to award Megellas with the Congressional Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military distinction.

Megellas even spent Christmas with his old unit, the 82nd Airborne. It marked the fourth Christmas the retired lieutenant colonel has spent in a war zone and the first since World War II.

“Being with my old regiment in a combat situation 62 years later was really quite an experience,” he said. “It was rewarding.”

At dinner that night, Megellas said he spoke with members of the 82 Airborne Division about the things he went through in World War II, such as parachuting behind enemy lines in Holland during Operation Market Garden. Those events are recorded in Megellas’ book and in Hollywood movies such as “A Bridge Too Far.”

Megellas even gave a videoconference broadcast on the Web to troops in Iraq while in Afghanistan on Christmas.

Although military technology has changed and six decades have elapsed since he was in the 82 Airborne, Megellas found similarities.

“The way (the members of the unit) look to each other more than anything else — the bond between soldiers — that hasn’t changed,” Megellas said.

Among members of the 82nd Airborne, Megellas is a legend.

“They know who I am,” he said. “It’s their history.”

The Ripon College graduate joined the 82nd Airborne in 1942 shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack. Megellas and his unit landed in Italy before the Anzio invasion and parachuted into Holland to take part in Operation Market Garden.

He is the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. Megellas was awarded more than 10 medals including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

Megellas plans to bring thousands of copies of his book to Iraq sometime in mid-February.

Petri praised Megellas’ continued efforts with the troops.

“It’s above and beyond the call of duty, but it is certainly not the first time for Megellas,” he said.

Megellas makes frequent visits to Fond du Lac, which he considers his hometown. He will turn 91 this year.

All The Way For The Troops

It was a long trip, but I finally was back in Afghanistan. I would like all the men and women who helped me doing this for the troops.

Later I will write a long article and will post it here on my website.

here’s a clip of Freedom Watch Afghanistan(go to 2:30)

Freedom Watch Afghanistan
27 December 2007

Click to watch the video

All The Way to FOB Salerno(again)

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan – While Soldiers couldn’t spend time with their families over the holidays, past-generation paratroopers left the comfort of their homes to show their support to the men and women of the 4th Brigade Combat Team who wear the 82nd Airborne patch.
Retired Lt. Col. James Megellas and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Tadeusz Gaweda showed up at Forward Operating Base Salerno with stories from their years in the service and their Christmases deployed.
Megellas, the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division, landed with Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, 82nd Airborne Division commander, Christmas Day.
While Rodriguez presented several exemplary Soldiers with division coins to show his appreciation, Megellas talked about his war experiences, and touted the troops in the audience as “the greatest men and women in this generation.” Megellas during his also gave away hundreds of his books ‘All the way to Berlin’
Both Rodriguez and Megellas toured the base, passing out presents to the troops and spreading holiday cheer.
“This is my fourth Christmas with the troops overseas, but there was over 60 years between the second and third one,” Megellas said. “I’m just happy to be with such a fine group at Christmas time.”