LEFT FOR DEAD AT NIJMEGEN
LEFT FOR DEAD AT NIJMEGEN
The True Story of an American Paratrooper in WWII
MARCUS A. NANNINI
Published in the United States of America and Great Britain in 2019 by
CASEMATE PUBLISHERS
1950 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083, USA
and
The Old Music Hall, 106108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JE, UK
Copyright 2019 Marcus A. Nannini
Hardback Edition: ISBN 978-1-61200-696-3
Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-61200-697-0 (ePub)
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
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Front cover: Sketch of German soldier by Gene Metcalfe
In loving memory of my grandfather,
Silvio Nannini
who always encouraged me to write.
I speak in the name of the entire German people when I assure the world that we all share the honest wish to eliminate the enmity that brings far more costs than any possible benefits.
It would be a wonderful thing for all of humanity if both peoples would renounce force against each other forever.
The German people are ready to make such a pledge.
Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Germany, October 14, 1933
Contents
Prologue
As you read the following true story you may feel fear, anguish, sorrow, pain, shock, and maybe even dread.
The subject of the story certainly felt those emotions but considered himself to be taking part in a grand adventure on a scale he never imagined while growing up in rural America during the 1930s and early 1940s.
A teenager when he entered service to his country, and not older than 22 when he came home, he had no time to grow up, for he found himself thrust into the depths of a war, the likes of which the world had never witnessed. He rose to his respective challenges without complaint and performed above and beyond what most people today might consider a reasonable expectation.
As Gene Metcalfe boarded a C-47 paratroop transport plane to fly him to a drop zone outside of Nijmegen, Holland, in the first wave of Operation Market Garden , an upbeat British lieutenant handed him an unmarked cardboard box containing 12 dozen condoms. A mere 12 hours later Gene considered them to have been a bad joke as he found himself being interrogated by Heinrich Himmler deep in the bowels of a Charlemagne-era castle, machine gun-toting fanatics of the Reichsfhrer SS on either side of him.
The following are his recollections as explained to Marcus A. Nannini in a series of interviews conducted over the course of several years. The conversations, characters, and scenes set forth in this story are recreated to the best of Genes memory. The presence of Heinrich Himmler on the night of September 17/18, 1944, has not proven capable of independent verification. The search for definitive proof of his whereabouts on the night in question continues.
During the course of more than two dozen interviews, Gene was consistent in his recollections and especially with details, down to counting the number of stairs in Belvedere Castle at Nijmegen. Some of the conversations with his German captors are Genes interpretation of the original dialogues, most of which were part sign language, part German and part English. He occasionally uses incorrect German words as he pronounces the German language as he heard it in 1944/45, not necessarily as it was actually pronounced. His hearing was significantly compromised as a result of his right eardrum having been irreparably destroyed by a German 88 while at the same time losing some hearing in his left ear.
A special thank-you to First Lieutenant/Flight Instructor, veteran of 27 combat missions, recipient of three air medals, seven battle stars and Market Garden veteran, Harry E. Watson, USAAF (Retired) and Major Robert Bauman, USAF (Retired).
Thank you to my editor, Susanne C. Johnson, M.A.
CHAPTER ONE
Homework
It was a cold, dreary Tuesday morning, November 10, 1942. Nineteen-year-old Gene Metcalfe was attending his much dreaded math class at DeKalb High School in the small teachers college and farming town of DeKalb, Illinois. The class had finally settled down after dutifully handing in their respective homework assignments to their teacher, Mr. Hoppe.
Gene was not-so-patiently waiting for Hoppe to discover his homework was missing. He fidgeted in his seat as Hoppe slowly worked his way through the assignments. He watched Hoppe carefully marking off the names from the class list as he slowly progressed to the bottom of the stack of homework papers. Finally, after what seemed for Gene to have taken far too long, Hoppe, with a flamboyant flip of his fingers, dropped his pencil and looked directly at him.
Mr. Metcalfe? There was only the slightest hint of interest in his voice, which was just a notch above his usual monotone. Gene, being respectful, stood in response.
Yes Sir? It took all of his willpower to keep from laughing.
Didnt you do your homework last night, Mr. Metcalfe? Hoppes tone of voice revealed his annoyance, which provided Gene with a little satisfaction for all the times he had struggled in Hoppes class over the last two and a half years.
No Sir, I did not. In fact, I dont plan to ever do math homework again. Gene no longer could hide a smile, aggravating Hoppe all the more. Hoppe stood in response to the unexpected answer while simultaneously raising the level of his voice.
Mr. Metcalfe! He paused to assure himself he commanded everyones attention. Just how do you expect to graduate next June if you dont do your homework?
Sir, he replied, I dont expect to graduate. In fact, Ive just joined the 508th Paratroop Infantry Regiment and Im leaving right this minute to report for duty! He began to move toward the doorway and paused to deliver one final thought: In a few months theyre going to have me parachuting right down on top of Hitlers head when hes at that mountaintop retreat of his so we can end the war!
Without hesitating, Gene quickly walked up the aisle, right past an uncharacteristically quiet Mr. Hoppe and out the classroom door. Hoppe remained standing, his mouth wide open and a look of complete surprise on his face as Gene made his escape, the door quietly closing behind him.
