Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 008, folder 22: William J. Meddaugh

MEMOIRS OF NORMANDY

By Don Lassen

When those tankers realized what was happening they threw those tanks in reverse gear, only they didn't do it in unison. A minor traffic jam occured when forward moving tanks became backward moving without warning or signal and jammed into the vehicles following them.

As a result, Paratroopers went flying thru the air and everyone went helter skelter for the roadside ditch to escape the searching machine-gun bursts that the enemy was hurling in our direction.

One of the tanks threw a tread in the confusion and the whole advance was SNAFUd- much to the chagrin of some ground- Infantry Lt Col who was learning that the book forgot to tell about situations such as this.

Well, then they decided that our best bet would be to spread out in a sort of a skirmishers formation on both sides of the road and with tanks for support we were to make a huge mass attack.

We started OK, and just got things popping when- The gliders started coming in.

It must have been around 2 or 3 PM the afternoon of the 6th of June when the sky suddenly filled with gliders floating around in all directions.

As they cut loose from their tow-chain they circled around overhead looking for landing places. We all stopped in our tracks and started waving to them which direction to come in. They thought that we were just being sociable and they just waved back. Those that came in on the enemy position facing us never had a chance to get out of their gliders.

Those gliders which were able to make a normal landing found that the small hedgerows of Normandy were not far enough apart for them and almost every glider ended up on its side, its back or its nose.

The casualty rate in each glider was terrific and we just stopped the attack which we were just beginning and started pulling guys out of gliders. There were wounded all over the place, all landing casualties.

By the time we got thru doctoring up all those glider- riders it was too late to do much with this big attack that we had going so the orders were to pull back and dig in for the night.

Around 10PM 6 June, Lt Peddicord, never satisfied to take it easy, personally led a 3 man reconnaisance patrol into enemy territory in an effort to determine the strength of the enemy facing us. Lt Peddicord was killed that nite on that patrol.

And that is the way that D-Day looked to me- from start to finish.

Dear Don: May 19, 1958 I wish to thank you very much for sending the E Co Poop Sheet, and at the same time apolotize for not writing you, and for not sending you my contribution. But this letter shall rectify all three matters. As I am engaged principally in trial work, it is sometimes impossible for me to attend to personal communications, but I have made it my business to write this letter.

I enjoyed "The Poop Sheet" in as much as it mentions the names of the fellows I served with and with whom I have lost contact. Even though I have made every convention but the last (due to family illness), I do like to hear from the fellows whom I haven't seen since Casablanca to Reims. We do have a small group here in Boston-Worcester, but it is more or less7 on a friendly basis rather than an all-out chapter.

Bill Tucker, my associate and former president of the 82nd Association, and I have attended most of the functions including the Army Convention in Washington, and just recently General Gavin's retirement at Fort Bragg. The General’s retirement moved me deeply, but on seeing how our division passed in revue, I was conscious of the fact that there will always be an 82nd Air-Borne Division. Bill and I also met many of the boys who are professional soldiers, such as Sargent Jim Russo, Sgt Benny Weeks, Capt Leon Estrada, Col Zeiss, Col Ekman, Sgt Cotting, and many others too numerous to mention. We certainly received Class A treatment from the boys, and Benny Weeks lent us his car while we went to Southern Pines for a few days of golf. I thin[k] I had a better time at Fort Bragg than at many of the other conventions I have attended. I can see why "E" Company plans their Reunions at Fort Bragg. In regards to the Reader's Digest Research Department Normandy' Invasion material, I do have something that may be of interest, in as much as I was a radar man with the original Path-finder Team, who were the first men in Normandy. If you care to pass along this information to them, I would be pleased to give them the whole background of the Path-finders and the names of every man on the team, as well as photographs.

Whenever I can get a breather, I will write again. Best wishes. Very truly yours, BOB MURPHY Director, 82nd Abn Dvn Assn 77 Colburn St, Westwood Massachusetts

Dear Don, May 24, 1958 I have been going to write you, but just never seem to get around to it. I enjoy the "Sheet" very much and read every inch of it. It sure brings back memories. Hope you keep sending it. GEORGE JAEGER 245 Jackson St. Amherst Ohio

E CO POOP SHEET 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division PUBLICATION FOR WW II 505ers June 15, 1958, VOL III, N. 12 82nd ABN DVN ASSN CONVENTION JULY 3, 4, 5 NEW YORK CITY THE FOLLOWING GUYS WILL BE THERE: Berge Avadanian Tony De Mayo Ray Bridgen Ray Faith Capt Robert Hill Jim Keenan Pat 0'Hagan Jim Coyle Bob Murphy Howard Lee Chaplain George Wood Lou Azman Earl Boling Nick DiBattista August Duva General Gavin Mort Katz John Keller Tom McClean Edward Reilly Harry Renick Ed Slavin The list is growing. There is only one more edition before the big blowout in New York, so rush your name in today. The Dvn Assn guarantees that all of you will have the time of your life and one that you will never forget.

THIS EDITION OF THE POOP SHEET CONTAINS YOUR VACATION ADDRESS LIST I have gone to a great deal of time trouble to break down our entire mailing list ito geographical areas. The list, which comprises the majority of this edition, is intended for your use this summer when you are on your vacation and wonder who lives close to where you are or where you are going. The list is alphabetized by states. The name of the city you will find in CAPITAL LETTERS at the end of each address. This list should give all of you easy access to everyone's address all summer long as you make your vacations or week-end trips. All the Poop Sheet asks in return for this detailed list is that you do, by all means, use this list, and you must report all contacts which you make. Occasionally you will find that an address given is not a good one, and your Poop Sheet most certainly wants to hear about that.

ALABAMA Maryland J. Golden Route 1, EAST TALLASSEE Levon Ezell Route #2, KINGSTON William O. Skinner RED BAY ARIZONA Frank Ballesteros 918 Montezuma St., PHOENIX Henry L. Quesada 613 S. 3rd St., PHOENIX0 Edward A. DuMoulin V. A. Hospital , Ward 3, Room 344 TUCSON ARKANSAS James D. McKinley CLARENDON CALIFORNIA Ed Arndt 1852 Virginia St., BERKELEY A. C. Patterson 415 Clarke St, BISHOP William B. Hill 642 Main St, FT BRAGG Cliff Maughn 2018 Olive St., FULLERTON Wesley Forsyth 525 Florida, IMPERIAL BEACH Clyde Rickerd 15322 Fonthill Ave., LAWNDALE Bill Follmer 480 Tuallitan Rd., LOS ANGELES 49 Rudy Oppliger 1900 Donerest St., MONTEREY PARK Otis Sampson 33691 Rancho Vista Dr., PALM SPRINGS Wilton Johnson 3142 Greer Rd., PALO ALTO Rodney Spivey 5527 Citronell Ave., PICO Jack Francis 5500 Bradford Dr., SACRAMENTO 21 Mark Alexander 846 N. Monroe St., SAN JOSE Alfred B. Britton Jr. 1st Natl Bank Bldg., SAN JOSE Ernest L. Gee 615 Bird Ave., SAN JOSE Tommy Gore 2070 Lassen St., SEASIDE B. T. Ananias P. O. Box 591, SOUTH GATE Dr. Lewis A. Smith 1788 Monty Court, STOCKTON R. R. Brown 22303 Eastwood Court, TORRANCE Henry O. Bly 13634 Burbank Blvd., VAN NUYS Buffalo Boy Canoe 19 Wavecrest Ave., VENICE Frankie B. Dowd WITCHPEC COLORADO Father Mathew Connelly Holy Cross Abbey, CANON CITY Eugene Gebinine Box 202, WALSENBURG CONNECTICUT Morton N. Katz 427 Main St., HARTFORD 3 John Scarlato 300 Charter Oak St., MANCHESTER Frank Jarven 3 Third Ave., SEYMOUR Edward Mushinski 83 No. Colony St, WALLINGFORD Joe Benesevich 184 Alder St., WATERBURY FLORIDA Jack Bailey BREWSTER Harry Pickels 223 Frederick Ave., DAYTONA BEACH Morris Yelvington 150 Pierce Ave., DAYTONA BEACH Robert L. Roe 1737 Naldo St., JACKSONVILLE Martin Koseniak Route 2, Box 2, MADISON George I. Cruthirds STARKE Wilburn Strickland Rt 6, Box 120, TALLAHASSE

GEORGIA William Blair 546 E. Paces Ferry Rd. N. E. ATLANTA [5?] Maj. J. D. Hallett Advisory Group USA, 699 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta 8 Maj. Larry Mowery 3057 Ormand Dr., COLUMBUS John P. Cages FRD #1, CONLEY Carter Calhoun 703 E. Morris St., DALTON Col. William Ekman Abn-Air Mobility Dept., FT BENNING Maj. Nick Psaki 309-D, 1st Div. Rd., FT BENNING Oliver B. Carr 1511 Brogdon St., SAVANNAH Howard Lee Box 24, TEMPLE IDAHO Erle Wheeler GRANGEMONT ILLINOIS Ed Caldaric 741 W. 50th Pl., CHICAGO 9 Neilon Glass 3910 N. Mozart St., CHICAGO 21 Al Hahn 6637 S. Hermitage Ave., CHICAGO 36 Jim Havron 9817 S. Greenwood, CHICAGO 28 George Hessberger Jr. 4300 N. Lincoln Ave., CHICAGO Chet Novak 4033 N. Mozart St., CHICAGO 21 Irv Seelye 1401 Benton St., CRETE Richard L. Koloch 3138 Central St., EVANSTON Bill Mehrholz 3138 Central st., EVANSTON Don Lassen 15101 Honore Ave., HARVEY Joe Schwan 3819 W. Chase Ave., LINCOLNWOOD John Steele 13 Street, METROPOLIS Joseph Brennan 245 S. Oak Park Ave., OAK PARK R. H. Dumke Box 363, OTTAWA Frank Woosley 304 W. St Louis St., PINCKNEYVILLE John Peltzer 2028 N. Kildare, SK

INDIANA Tudy Hayhurst 1652 John St, Apt A, EVANSVILLE Rev George B. Wood Trinity Episcopal Church, West Berry St at Fulton, FT WAYNE Morrie L. Claybrooke 3915 Central Ave., INDIANAPOLIS Harry H. Miller 6102 E. 10th St., INDIANAPOLIS Allen W. Summers MONTGOMERY Wayne H. Aikesell 410 W. Jefferson, MONTICELLO Ray Faith 2116 Gary Drive, NEW ALBANY Melvin L. Hardy 719 N. O'Brien St., SEYMOUR James Levell 1229 N. 11th, VINCENNES IOWA James Sinn 613 Division St., WEBSTER CITY KANSAS Lt Col William Harris Command & General Staff College, FT LEAVENWORTH Tom Emery R. R. 4, PARSONS