WW II 82nd Airborne paratrooper Medal of Honor bills (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter dragon53
- Start date
larso
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- May 2, 2008
- Messages
- 1,565
I've been keeping an eye on this since I read Megellas' memoir 'All the way to Berlin'. It is one of the most remarkable accounts by an airborne soldier and I've read about 20. It wasn't long ago that he visited his old regiment on active service in Afghanistan - and tried to go on a combat patrol!
For those interested in my Amazon review -
Up front I have to say that this book was extraordinary in one incredible respect, Megellas relished killing Germans! Many veterans are coy on this topic for a host of legitimate reasons. Megellas is a clear exception, as he writes, "Our `Military Occupational Speciality' (MOS) became clear: kill our enemy, the German soldier; the alternative was to be killed by our enemy. To become successful in our MOS, we had to develop a profound hatred for certain other human beings". (pg 345) He also includes what he submitted to Cornelius Ryan (for his book `A Bridge too Far'), "We recognised that a job had to be done", by this he meant a grim one, a view he felt typified the airborne, before continuing with, "I found the business of killing and destruction an agreeable accomplishment". Later he regrets that the war in the Pacific ends, as he doesn't get to kill any Japanese! Given the usual tone on this issue, it was astounding to read such forthright statements. So no doubts about it - this is a combat memoir indeed!
Megellas, like Moffat Burriss (Strike & Hold), is a member of the 3rd Bn of the 504th Para Regt and his war starts in Italy. He covers a few of the same themes, including the failure of British forces and his company being cut off, yet holding off large numbers of Germans. Megellas writes from his role as an officer, directing fire and breaking up attacks. It was all a bit general, until he mentioned writing to his brother, stating how many Germans he had killed!
The 504th, after being rested during Normandy, was involved in Market Garden and Megellas crossed the Waal in that epic action. He includes a few recollections from others and this section reads more like a unit history rather than a memoir. His strongest stuff here though is during the later defensive phase. There is quite a bit on close quarter fighting (killing) and some hair raising night patrols. Indeed, there is some very good stuff on the mechanics of planning and conducting patrols from the point of view of an officer. Again Megellas writes of killing a number of Germans. The most astonishing story though concerns his involvement in the capture of Heeresbach following (during?) the Bulge. It seems his column of two companies was marching in, just as two German columns came marching out - essentially either side of the Americans. Rather than consider themselves surrounded (or outnumbered), the paratroopers attack and completely rout the Germans! It is an incredible action for which Megellas wins the Silver Star.
The stunning part of this was that later he corrects an error on his citation by pointing out he actually killed more! Another trooper recalls Megellas running about counting out loud! It is scintillating stuff! Megellas is not boasting though. There is no long winded, blow by blow listing, but it is still one hell of a battle. The other really intriguing thing that was revealed, was Megellas' note that he thought that this now made him the leading `living' killer of enemy soldiers in his regiment. Implying that some sort of semi-official tally was being kept - something quite new to me. I know I've focused on the issue of killing here but the emphasis was just so different in this book compared to other memoirs. Killing is Megellas' business. At times he is quite brutal in how he expresses this. There is no reflecting on the humanity of the enemy or poignant descriptions of how their bodies came to lie. He keeps count but he doesn't mull over it. He just gets the job done and moves on. In mind, as well as body.
As I said above, Megellas also includes a lot of accounts from comrades. These are much shorter than those in Burriss' book and don't interrupt the flow of the story as much. They still have the affect of shifting attention away from what Megellas is doing himself though. Again though, the inclusion of all these stories speaks loudly of the camaraderie that existed in the airborne. There is also the point that these men are actually carrying out Megellas' orders, so they do inform the reader of things that Megellas is closely involved in. Overall, these inclusions, usually just paragraphs and passages don't disrupt the flow of Megellas own narrative - indeed in the way he has used them, they mostly enhance it.
This is one heck of a war book. Megellas' openness about killing really makes it stand out from the pack. It is well written and engaging and though it lacks the sensitive contemplation of Gantter for instance, there is a different emphasis and tone, it is an utterly compelling memoir of battle. And you are left in no doubt, that if you were a German soldier occupying your part in the line, the last person you would want coming for you, would be James Megellas! Highly recommended.
For those interested in my Amazon review -
Up front I have to say that this book was extraordinary in one incredible respect, Megellas relished killing Germans! Many veterans are coy on this topic for a host of legitimate reasons. Megellas is a clear exception, as he writes, "Our `Military Occupational Speciality' (MOS) became clear: kill our enemy, the German soldier; the alternative was to be killed by our enemy. To become successful in our MOS, we had to develop a profound hatred for certain other human beings". (pg 345) He also includes what he submitted to Cornelius Ryan (for his book `A Bridge too Far'), "We recognised that a job had to be done", by this he meant a grim one, a view he felt typified the airborne, before continuing with, "I found the business of killing and destruction an agreeable accomplishment". Later he regrets that the war in the Pacific ends, as he doesn't get to kill any Japanese! Given the usual tone on this issue, it was astounding to read such forthright statements. So no doubts about it - this is a combat memoir indeed!
Megellas, like Moffat Burriss (Strike & Hold), is a member of the 3rd Bn of the 504th Para Regt and his war starts in Italy. He covers a few of the same themes, including the failure of British forces and his company being cut off, yet holding off large numbers of Germans. Megellas writes from his role as an officer, directing fire and breaking up attacks. It was all a bit general, until he mentioned writing to his brother, stating how many Germans he had killed!
The 504th, after being rested during Normandy, was involved in Market Garden and Megellas crossed the Waal in that epic action. He includes a few recollections from others and this section reads more like a unit history rather than a memoir. His strongest stuff here though is during the later defensive phase. There is quite a bit on close quarter fighting (killing) and some hair raising night patrols. Indeed, there is some very good stuff on the mechanics of planning and conducting patrols from the point of view of an officer. Again Megellas writes of killing a number of Germans. The most astonishing story though concerns his involvement in the capture of Heeresbach following (during?) the Bulge. It seems his column of two companies was marching in, just as two German columns came marching out - essentially either side of the Americans. Rather than consider themselves surrounded (or outnumbered), the paratroopers attack and completely rout the Germans! It is an incredible action for which Megellas wins the Silver Star.
The stunning part of this was that later he corrects an error on his citation by pointing out he actually killed more! Another trooper recalls Megellas running about counting out loud! It is scintillating stuff! Megellas is not boasting though. There is no long winded, blow by blow listing, but it is still one hell of a battle. The other really intriguing thing that was revealed, was Megellas' note that he thought that this now made him the leading `living' killer of enemy soldiers in his regiment. Implying that some sort of semi-official tally was being kept - something quite new to me. I know I've focused on the issue of killing here but the emphasis was just so different in this book compared to other memoirs. Killing is Megellas' business. At times he is quite brutal in how he expresses this. There is no reflecting on the humanity of the enemy or poignant descriptions of how their bodies came to lie. He keeps count but he doesn't mull over it. He just gets the job done and moves on. In mind, as well as body.
As I said above, Megellas also includes a lot of accounts from comrades. These are much shorter than those in Burriss' book and don't interrupt the flow of the story as much. They still have the affect of shifting attention away from what Megellas is doing himself though. Again though, the inclusion of all these stories speaks loudly of the camaraderie that existed in the airborne. There is also the point that these men are actually carrying out Megellas' orders, so they do inform the reader of things that Megellas is closely involved in. Overall, these inclusions, usually just paragraphs and passages don't disrupt the flow of Megellas own narrative - indeed in the way he has used them, they mostly enhance it.
This is one heck of a war book. Megellas' openness about killing really makes it stand out from the pack. It is well written and engaging and though it lacks the sensitive contemplation of Gantter for instance, there is a different emphasis and tone, it is an utterly compelling memoir of battle. And you are left in no doubt, that if you were a German soldier occupying your part in the line, the last person you would want coming for you, would be James Megellas! Highly recommended.