James M. Gavin
25
Acorn Park Cambridge 40, Massachusetts
November 18, 1966
Dear Connie:
There were
two bridges between Grave and Nijmegen, over the canal, saved.
No. 10 was the most bitterly contested. It is on
the main highway from Grave to Nijmegen and it was the northernmost
of the four bridges. It was the mission of the
508th to capture it and Lieutenant Polette undertook to do so. His
attack was extremely courageous and well carried out. He
later was given the DSC for his action and, unfortunately, he was also
killed later. When, after a day and and a half of
fighting, he was unable to get the bridge except to drive the
Germans back on to it, and they then set off some demolitions,
I
told Tucker
to send a platoon to attack it from the other end.
They did and, according to Tucker, they just walked on to it. Here
are the papers having to do with that.