FdL recognizes true man of honor: Jim Megellas

Jim Megellas made it perfectly clear during the past few days that special honors bestowed by his hometown rank among the most meaningful of his life.

And the 91-year-old World War II hero and Congressional Medal of Honor nominee has indeed relished an interesting and meaningful life.

The Fond du Lac County Veterans Memorial Building at 500 Fond du Lac Ave. was named in his honor Saturday. He has been a card-carrying member of Fond du Lac’s Trier-Puddy American Legion Post 75 for 61 years. Family members, friends, Army buddies old and new, and fellow Fond du Lac residents gathered to celebrate the honor with him. As he would gladly tell anyone within earshot, it was an honor not only for him but also for the community that nurtured and molded him.

For those who don’t know Megellas, it’s worth pointing out that he is a genuine war hero and a person dedicated to a life of public service.

For those who do know him, nothing more needs to be said.

It’s time to decide

The description of his gallantry at the Battle of the Bulge reads like the climax of a movie. His book, “All the Way to Berlin: A Paratrooper at War in Europe,” is a bestseller. He is the most decorated officer in the history of the acclaimed 82nd Airborne Division. Among his more than 20 military medals are The Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

It’s no secret that he deserves the nation’s highest military honor — the Congressional Medal of Honor — even if it is six decades too late. Bills exist in the House and U.S. Senate urging that the highest honor be accorded to Megellas. It’s about time Congress voted.

I had the pleasure to meet Megellas last week during his hometown visit. There is an indefinable quality about him that emanates from people of his caliber. There is nothing “91” about him, except the wisdom and the insights that naturally flow from experiences of people of that vintage.

Thoughts and insights

He talked about the Medal of Honor, his regard for today’s soldiers, the need for a military draft and the seemingly unending war in which the nation is embroiled.

“It has greater significance than the man who wears it,” he said of the Medal of the Honor. It would be “an honor for Fond du Lac, an honor for Wisconsin, for all of us.”

On the status of the War on Terror, he noted, “America is at war, but the American people are not at war.”

Unlike the World War II era, the only ones making sacrifices in the war effort are the troops and their families, he stressed.

His most animated, almost joyous, comments came in response to a question about where he went to grade school.

“Washington School at the corner of Doty and Follett,” he said with a wide grin he couldn’t tone down even if he had wanted to. The memories poured out as fast as he could frame the sentences.

Boyhood memories

He remembered the Armistice Days of his boyhood and how all the sirens in the city sounded and students faced east at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to recall the end of Word War I and honor those who had died.

He recalled Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans in the city’s Memorial Day parades.

“I remember the impact it had on me growing up — the military history of Fond du Lac,” he added.

He also remembered Sarah Fahey, the principal at Washington School in the distinctive Greek neighborhood near Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox and St. Louis churches on the city’s northwest side. Washington School is long gone, but the Fahey School building on Doty Street stands as a reminder of a special ethnic neighborhood and an educator who obviously left her mark on local members of the Greatest Generation.

Abiding by his principles

It’s interesting to me that stories about Jim Megellas and the contentious issue of diversity appeared side by side at the top of Page 1 on Wednesday.

To those who might not know, suffice it to say that Fond du Lac does not have a sterling record in the area of welcoming people of color, those of different creeds or others viewed as “outside” its traditional mainstream.

As a member of a distinct ethnic minority, Megellas experienced the sting of prejudice and discrimination. So did his Washington School classmates, the great majority of whom distinguished themselves during the war and the years since.

It’s not a subject Megellas dwells on. But it is a part of him. He proved throughout his life what is important to him. He had the highest regard for his ethnic background, his city, his country and the principles on which this nation was founded.

He understood the principles for which he fought even if others in his treasured hometown did not. He did his duty to the utmost of his ability.

For that alone, he is a man of honor.

Michael Mentzer

Building renamed in honor of war hero

American flags lined the street Saturday in front of Fond du Lac’s American Legion Post 75, welcoming a soldier home.

Neon beer signs glowed in the windows of the gathering place on Fond du Lac Avenue known to generations of military veterans, and a soft light parted rain clouds as James Megellas, 91, stood to speak.

The front of his tailored suit flanked with medals and his head thick with waves of silver hair, the 91-year-old World War II legend said there is no greater honor than recognition from peers.

“When the heart is full, the tongue is heavy,” Megellas said first in Spanish, then translated for the crowd gathered at the ceremony dedicating the Veterans Memorial Building, 500 Fond du Lac Ave., to the local war hero.

Judy Kollmansberger of Eden sat among the families of veterans and the veterans themselves, graying men wearing smartly creased caps. They nodded in unison as Megellas spoke of the indescribable bond between those who braved battles side by side and lived to tell about it.

“I have a son, a Marine who just got back from Iraq,” Kollmansberger said. “It meant a lot when I met Jim this morning and he gave me a big hug.”

Stellar reputation

Born in Fond du Lac, Megellas gained a stellar reputation for his actions in World War II as the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. 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 in Nijmegen/Holland under heavy German machine gun fire and the Battle of the Bulge.

His war memoir “All the Way to Berlin,” is said to be one of the best accounts of what war at the level of an infantryman was like — a firsthand account of an American soldier risking his life for freedom.

Megellas’ hand shook as he held a perfect salute for the color guard carrying flags, but he stood poised with grace as he spoke about his life growing up in Fond du Lac during an era of patriotic pride.

He recalled numerous parades held in the city to honor veterans and the mobs of citizens who attended, a sea of flags wildly waving. He told of the soldiers who returned to Fond du Lac after the war, some without the buddies they enlisted with. As was tradition, most all of them joined the American Legion.

“Very high on their lists was continuing to serve their country and their community, and keeping that bond alive between them,” Megellas said.

By way of introduction. U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, noted that Megellas was being honored, not for his 25 medals, but “for what the medals represent: achieving victory and maintaining freedom.”

Legislation introduced

In January of 2007, Petri introduced a bill(H.R. 795) in the U.S. House of Representatives requesting that Megellas be awarded the Medal of Honor for his acts of valor during the Jan. 28, 1945 Battle of the Bulge.

The bill is presently in the Committee on Armed Services awaiting future action.

Recently a new bill(S.3232) has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas.

City Manager Tom Herre, himself a military veteran, said Megellas’ name on the building will serve as a daily source of inspiration.

“As we pass by, it will bring to mind the image of Americans at their best,” Herre said.

Other speakers included veteran of three wars: Marcus Oksa, Roger Immel, County Executive Allen Buechel and state Rep. John Townsend, R-Fond du Lac.

Megellas, who resides in Colleyville, Texas, was accompanied by his wife, Carole, and said he is often asked to share his thoughts about the ongoing war in Iraq.

“People ask me what if the cause isn’t justified or it isn’t a right war. Well, soldiers don’t question. They do what they are told and they do their job so that you have the freedom to question. If you don’t agree with a policy, you have the right to express yourself. Personally, I say it’s my country, and history will prove whether we were right or wrong.”

At 91, he’s still serving his country

LITTLE ROCK — War, says this man who has fought one, is the most brutal of human endeavors.

He speaks from the comfort of a stuffed wingback, a man of history resting for a moment among the columns and elegant arches of the Capital Hotel.

“War is necessary,” says Jim Megellas, whose mission with the 82nd Airborne Division was to kill Germans, “but not to be glorified. When you glorify it, you dishonor the sacrifice of those who died.”

Mr. Megellas’ story is in the details – the individuals and the day-to-day that the big picture historians of World War II omit, by necessity, from their volumes.

“There is a human element to war the historians do not write about, how young men will react,” says Mr. Megellas – Maggie to his fellow soldiers. “War is fought at the level of the platoon, often by teenagers.”

Mr. Megellas and his wife, Carole, who live in Texas, visited Little Rock recently to watch two of their preteen grandchildren compete in a martial arts tournament. The stop was a short one. At 91, his calendar is full, serving his country still, though now he uses a microphone and a pen.

Mr. Megellas is a native of Fond du Lac, Wis., where on Saturday the city will rename its Veterans Memorial Building for him.

Mr. Megellas was in college when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Six months later, he wrote a letter to his brother George, who was stationed at Camp Robinson, announcing he had earned his parachute wings:

“I was fortunate not to get hurt bad enough on any of my jumps to have to go on sick call, but I sure took a beating.

… The last four jumps I … hit on my butt and head. I hada headache for days … and my butt is still sore so that standing is a pleasure.”

Mr. Megellas, a lieutenant and platoon leader, was in Germany for the duration.

He fought in many of the big battles, including the Battle of the Bulge, during which he disabled a German tank with two hand grenades. He fought in the crossing of the Waal River, one of the battles in the film A Bridge Too Far. He was among those who liberated the concentration camp at Wobbelin.

He earned a chest full of medals, and a congressman from Wisconsin has introduced legislation to award him a Medal of Honor. But during his visit to Little Rock, he wore a light jacket and nothing about him gave away what he has seen or what he has earned.

“My claim to fame is Trace and MacKenzie,” he says,referring to his grandchildren.

Random House has published his memoir of the war, All the Way to Berlin. He drew from letters that he and others wrote, and he talked to men with whom he had fought.

He wrote all 190,000 words of his book with ball-points on yellow legal pads. Carole transcribed it reading into a voice-recognition program on a computer. (Editors cut his book to 140,000 words and didn’t go for his preferred title, which was Through the Sights of My Gun.)

“Every generation produces great men and women,” he says. “The Vietnam vets are the greatest of that generation.”

He has seen such greatness on trips to Afghanistan, most recently when he was with the82nd Airborne for Christmas 2007. He was 90 then.

“I found the same determination, the same dedication, as we had,” he says. “They are the best of this generation.”

Interview with James ‘Maggie’ Megellas

Last Thursday Maggie was interviewed on KFIZ about his World War II experiences, his visit to the troops overseas, building dedication and the Congressional Medal of Honor bill in House of Representatives(H.R. 795) and Senate(S.3232)
Interview with James ‘Maggie’ Megellas on KFIZ

Jim Megellas returns

War hero James “Maggie” Megellas hasn’t slowed down.

The 91-year-old Fond du Lac native is busy signing copies of his books for U.S. troops overseas, planning trips to Afghanistan and speaking to students and soldiers throughout the country.

Since writing “All the Way to Berlin,” a book about his experiences in World War II, Megellas said his life has become busier than ever.

Megellas, now of Texas, returned to Fond du Lac this week to attend the re-dedication of the Fond du Lac County Veterans Memorial Building. The building will be renamed in his honor. The dedication ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19, at the Veterans Memorial Building, 500 Fond du Lac Ave.

After a storied career in the U.S. Army and in government service, Megellas has become a living legend. History channel producers have interviewed him about the battles he fought. Companies have interviewed him for a video game. He even has an action figure.

Megellas is the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. He was awarded more than 25 medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. In 2007, U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, introduced a bill in the House suggesting that the president award Megellas with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Recently, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced a similar bill in the U.S. Senate.

On Tuesday, Megellas sat down with The Reporter to talk about his life and what some of those honors mean to him. Questions and answers follow.

Q: How does the re-naming of the Fond du Lac County Veterans Memorial Building in your honor rank among all of the honors you have received?

A: “There are a number of honors that I’ve gotten that have been distinctive. For example, recently I was awarded the medallion of the Primicerius by the National Infantry Association, that body’s highest order. However, this (Saturday’s dedication ceremony in his honor) has special significance for me because it’s my hometown. The honor and respect you receive from your peers is especially significant because they know me the best. It’s very meaningful and very humbling. It’s different; you’re never a hero in your hometown.”

Q: What do you think about the efforts to obtain for you the Congressional Medal of Honor?

A: “The present effort got started several years ago. I thought about it at the time and thought, ‘So what?’ But my buddies, the people I served with, they said it was a reflection on all of us, on all of the 82nd.

“It has greater significance than the man who wears it. It’s an honor for Fond du Lac, an honor for Wisconsin, for all of us. I never thought about it at the time. When you’re a combat soldier, you don’t have time. There are a countless number of guys who did stuff that was never recognized. No officer in the 82nd Airborne has been awarded one. Later, I thought, ‘This is a reflection on the unit — esprit de corps.’ Then I thought, ‘Give it a try.”‘

Q: What has caused the delay in approving the bill?

A: “It’s not a controversial bill, it’s not a funding bill, it is not a pork barrel bill. What they’re talking about is awarding the highest medal this country has and that isn’t taken lightly. A lot of justification for the bill wasn’t included in the original citation. It’s a very difficult thing to get. I don’t know how the system works, but I know it has a slim chance of making it to the (Senate) floor. A lot of these things, if they aren’t voted on in committee, they die. … It would be nice if they at least voted on it.”

Q: Can you tell us about what you will speak about on Saturday?

A: “I was born here and I can personalize history in ways historians cannot — what the American Legion meant to me, how the city responded.

“I’ll probably reflect on the building and the members who have been there and how they continue to serve the community today. I remember when I was at Washington Elementary School at Doty and Follett. At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 (Armistice Day then, Veterans Day today), we all stood and faced east and all the sirens went off. I remember the impact it had on me growing up — the military history of Fond du Lac.

“I remember seeing Civil War veterans in the Memorial Day parade. I don’t have anything written, no notes. I’ll just talk about whatever comes to me. … I speak at a lot of schools and one thing I tell them is: ‘If you really want to honor your veterans, you’ll lead your life on the principles we fought for.’”

Q: What are some of the differences between World War II and the current war?

A: “We knew the war would end. Now, our troops are in it for the duration, one tour at a time. And they don’t know when it is going to end.

“The technology has changed, but two things have remained the same: One, the quality and caliber (of the troops) is every bit as good; the second is we will not achieve our objective until we have troops on the ground.

“We don’t have enough troops on the ground to complete our worldwide duty. We don’t have the ground forces. I don’t go around criticizing the military. The important thing is that we support our troops.”

Q: What is the solution?

A: “The solution is to institute the draft or selective service. … Where is the sacrifice? Everyone is waiting around for a rebate check. Before (World War II era), everyone was involved. Today, it’s just the military and their families who are sacrificing. America is at war, but the American people are not at war.”

Q: The 50th anniversary of Fond du Lac’s City Council form of government is coming up. As the first City Council president, do you have any thoughts on how things have worked out?

A: “Before that (the Council-Manager form of local government), we had the commission form of government. Fond du Lac was known as the Fountain City. But the commission decided to abandon the wells.

“They hired a surface water specialist to come in, and the specialist said we should get our water from the lake. That really shook up people. There was a referendum and they changed the form of government.

“Everybody wanted a part in the new government. I remember 48 people ran for seven City Council seats. I ran and I got elected. One of the first things we did was bring in a groundwater specialist.

“There was a photo of me in the newspaper when they turned the bubblers back on. We also bought a lot of land around the city. … A lot of the things we envisioned have come to pass and that is very satisfying. I’m quite pleased to see the progress that has been made 50 years later.”

Senator Cornyn Calls for Medal of Honor for James Megellas

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday Senator John Cornyn,TX introduced S.3232, legislation to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to former Fond du Lac resident James Megellas.

On January 28, 1945, then Lt. Megellas led his platoon of the 82nd Airborne Division on a surprise and devastating attack on a much larger advancing German force, killing and capturing a large number of the enemy and causing others to flee. In an act of fearless courage, Megellas single-handedly destroyed an attacking German Mark V tank with two hand-held grenades. He then led the charge of his men and seized Herresbach, Belgium.

After serving four years as a rifle platoon leader during World War II, including many combat jumps into Italy and Holland, Megellas left the active Army and served for 16 years in the Army Reserve. He retired after 20 years of service as a lieutenant colonel.

His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Star Medals, two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, and he is credited with being the 82nd Airborne Division’s most decorated officer. During World War II, General James Gavin selected one 82nd officer – Lt. James Megellas – to receive the Military Order of Willhelm Orange Lanyard from the Dutch Minister of War on behalf of his division.

 

 

WWII Veteran to be Guest of Army NASCAR Team

91-Year-Old WWll Veteran to be Guest of U.S. Army Team at Chicagoland Speedway

JOLIET, Ill. — James Megellas, a 91-year-old World War II decorated veteran, will be a guest of Mark Martin and the U.S. Army NASCAR team at this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Megellas, a native of Fond du Lac, Wis. and ardent NASCAR fan, is the most decorated officer in the history of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

A retired lieutenant colonel, Megellas was awarded more than 20 medals, including The Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and Master Parachutist.

He also authored a book — All the way to Berlin: A Paratrooper at War in Europe.

Megellas made his second trip to Afghanistan in December 2007 to meet with soldiers. He shared his battlefield experiences from World War II, participated in combat patrols, including a ride-along in a humvee. He also spoke to staff members from the Combined Joint Task Force, addressing leadership in combat while serving overseas