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A THANK YOU NOTE ... |
Early in the evening of Sept. 17, a four man patrol set out
from the G Company assembly area to reconnoiter deeper into Nijmegen
toward the Waal River Bridge. Angel Romero, Merle Beach, George McGraph
and a Bn. S-2 man advanced about two miles forward and found no Germans
troops.
The patrol questioned civilians who spoke English, but they were very
nervous and uncooperative. "They wouldn't even tell us the way to the
bridge or how far we were from the river," reported Romero.
In contrast to their reaction the night before, Romero described how the
Dutch responded the next morning:
A couple of civilians walked toward us. They were not aware we were
there. They carried lunch and were going about their Monday morning
business. They were dumfounded to see us, and more so, when one of the
paratroopers told them in English that they could not go through and
should go back home and stay there.
They stood for a few minutes without saying a word. Suddenly one of them
said, 'Americans', and came and kissed the flag on our uniforms. He let
out a loud yell, threw his lunch in the air and ran back to some nearby
houses. In a few minutes people were all over everywhere — some in their
night clothes.
When the company moved out toward the bridge, the crowds lined the
streets and cheered as if the troops were on parade. The crowds thinned
as they drew nearer the bridge — until there were no spectators. Then
all of a sudden the Germans opened fire.
"I ducked into a doorway to avoid the bullets, and that's when I met the
Dutchman. Argardus 'Gas' Leegsma,," Romero recalled. "Gas had detailed
maps of gun emplacements and knew exactly where the 88s were approaching
the bridge. Gas insisted that we should not continue on that route."
Romero took Gas Leegsma to Sgt. Sirovica, platoon sgt, who along with
Lt. Covey directed the attack.
Sgt. Vantrease led the point squad with Romero., McGrath, Bend, Metar,
Carter, Calcagno, Beach and others. The platoon was stopped dead about a
block from the bridge. Capt. Wilde caught up and directed the attack.
Leegsma guided the lead squad away from the direct fire of 88th and
machine guns mounted on roof tops — through back yards of houses. It
meant scaling high steel link security fences, but that was easier than
facing the point blank fire of the 88s. When they arrived at the street
next to the river, Capt. Wilde came up close to their position and
yelled, "Get that joker across the street!"
Vantrease's squad crossed the road and started down the river
embankment. Romero described what happened next"
It didn't take us long to realize we were greatly outnumbered and the
shape of the terrain left us sitting ducks. The Germans had all kind of
guns on the opposite bank and were having a field day firing point blank
at us. We were ordered out of there because it was certain death if we
stayed. Vantrease had gone a little farther down the embankment from me.
When we were ordered out, he was hit as he turned to leave. He said it
was shrapnel. I thought it was a direct hit from a 40 mm. He flew about
10 feet and it was obvious he was seriously wounded.
After he and I got out, Beno, Metar, McGrath, and a medic carried
Vantrease a good distance. Some of the residents came to offer help. He
was given first aid. One of the residents told us to carry him to a
basement where he was hidden a few days until evacuated.
The fighting within two blocks of the bridge was fierce. I don't think
there was a house in the area that wasn't hit by artillery, rifle and
machine gun fire. We would go to one side of the bridge and then the
other, and it was the same heavy fireworks. The Germans were everywhere,
and we still held our own.
During the afternoon we were ordered back to clear one of the glider
landing zones. Our squad was the closest to the bridge and thus the last
to leave. We had gone about a half a mile when complete exhaustion hit
me. I sat to one side of the street and in a moment Gas Leegsma was
again at my side. He said I could rest later, but for now we had to move
out or chance the Germans catching up with us. He offered his hand and
helped me get up. He walked with me awhile until he was sure I could
make it.
Gas calls me his liberator, because I was the first American he met. I
have the highest respect and esteem for him. This man was super in what
he did for G Company with his maps and diagrams and guiding us around
Nijmegen. He stayed with us throughout the Netherlands and most of the
Battle of the Bulge. His ability to speak so many languages still amazes
me. In my opinion he did more for the Netherlands than the boy who
plugged the dyke to keep the country from flooding.
Capt. Wilde said of Gas Leegsma, “I remember him as a helleva fighting
man with the highest capacity for food in the European theater."
A few months before he died in 1988, Glen W. Vantrease, of Clearwater,
Florida wrote the following letter to his old paratrooper friend Angel
Romero in El Paso, Texas; |
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"Every September 17, I am reminded of our flight
to Holland: the flooded lowlands, the P38’s buzzing around to
protect us, the low altitude drop and the quick assembly. '
A day later, G Company was the 508 point to advance to the Waal
River and our squad was the company point. We went through the
back yards of homes with those seven foot cyclone fences. As we
neared the road parallel to the river, an outpost raised his
head and McGrath shot him. We crossed the road and started
diagonally down the long river bank when all hell broke loose.
The Germans were shelling us with 88’s from the opposite bank. A
piece of metal hit me in the back like a sledge hammer and sent
me flying several feet.
The squad beat a hasty retreat under severe fire. You hesitated
and called back to me, but I was temporarily stunned. You came
back alone, half slung me over your shoulder, and took off.
After we were in a safe position, several others helped to carry
me into a house where I was hidden by the Dutch.
Many, many times, but every late September, I think of my wife,
our four children, and our successful and happy life. Then each
time I thank you for that time of bravery when you risked your
life and saved mine." |
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