64 YEARS AGO

Today I have commitments that will prevent me from writing a column. Perhaps I may be egotistical and since on Wednesday eve had not specific ax to grind, I thought I could share in installments a small portion .of "Old Doc’s War".

It has been 64 years and 1 month since the American Armies crossed the Rhine. The majority of us who were there have gone on to greener pastures.

I also plan to publish” Plainfield Nostalgia” on a weekly basis.
OPERATION VARSITY

Montgomery was in command of what was to be the first trans-Rhine advance on German soil. He was amassing a tremendous number of heavy artillery on the west bank. The initial crossing, after the heaviest artillery bombardment and air attack of the war, was to be made by British Commando forces. Simultaneously, as the 17th Airborne seized the crossings over the Wessel River, the British Army and the American 9th Army would cross the Rhine on pontoon bridges to join these forces. “Varsity” was a well planned operation. Unfortunately for Monty, a few days earlier Patton’s forces were able to unexpectedly seize the bridge at Remagen and beat him into Germany proper.

For security purposes, during the third week of March, we moved into what was in effect a concentration camp bordering on an airport outside Paris. The camp was surrounded by two rows of barbed wire with a restricted entrance gate and guarded form the outside by armed soldiers. I think the airport was Le Bourget where Lindberg had landed. There was no entry or exit except by written order. None the less, secrecy had already been breached. The Germans were broadcasting radio warnings that they would be waiting for us, even giving the general location of the Drop Zone.

One day a GI "accidentally" shot himself in the foot while cleaning his rifle”. I had to take him to a hospital in a Paris suburb. The ambulance left the camp headed for Paris. We entered the city through (the names of the 'gates" may be wrong) the Porte de St Michael. At the first intersection, we made a left turn. Upon reaching the next boulevard, we made another left turn and exited the city limits through the Port de Italia and proceeded a few miles to the hospital. That was my first visit to" gay Paree"

Fortunately, after the end of the war in Europe I was temporarily detached from my post with the 82nd in Berlin to serve for 6 weeks as Chief of the Venereal Disease Service in the only American Army Hospital inside Paris.

The morning of the operation, March 24, 1944, the "condemned men” were served a special (last meal) breakfast. Instead of the dried scrambled dehydrated eggs to which we were accustomed, we had all the “fresh” eggs we wanted cooked to order or a small steak. Unfortunately,there was no bacon or sausage. The majority chose the eggs, a real treat.

To be continued .Glider flight and landing.