A few days later, the 82nd Airborne Division was able to seize and hold the Nijmegen Bridge over the Waal River.
Without exception, the 508th PIR Battalions were employed with a maximum of unit integrity and cohesiveness, on a well-defined and controlled battlefield that reduced the number of casualties.
All Hq1 men share in the regiment's accomplishments in Holland. Now hear from Hq1 men as they remember the campaign.
Kenneth Merritt. "I was a Sergeant in command of a Light Machinegun Section consisting of four 30 caliber light machineguns. We dropped into Holland, and recovered our equipment. My section was immediately attached to Company A. The night of September 17, my section manned two roadblocks. Apparently, during the night Co A received orders to enter Nijmegen and seize the bridge over the Waal River. In the morning, I discovered that Co A had moved out without telling us.
I assembled my section and led them into the city looking for Co A. We failed to find any American or German soldiers in the city. But we continued searching, throughout the day.
Finally, the Germans stopped us with heavy machinegun and rifle fire at a traffic circle near the bridge. Later, we met a regimental patrol that led us back to the drop zone.
The next morning, Company A reinforced with a Hq1 LMG section (not mine) seized Devil's Hill. My section assigned to support Company B and C. Throughout the day, we fought off strong German attacks. During one of the attacks, Tom Broderick of my section was shot in the head. We were sure he was dead but had him evacuated.
Several months later, we learned that Tom Broderick had survived but would be blind. Broderick’s amazing story is presented in Tom Brokaw’s book The Greatest Generation.”
Lawrence Fitzpatrick. “On September 19, Company A, reinforced with my section of light machineguns was ordered to seize Devil's Hill; and establish a roadblock where the Nijmegen-Wyler Road joined a causeway.
As we approached the hill, Allied planes strafed us -- they were shooting at the Germans on the hill – and apparently thought we were Germans.
When the A Company men neared the top of the hill, they were pinned down by machinegun and rifle fire. The acting company commander called for our light machine guns.
Our machinegun squads (Larry Fitzpatrick, Albert Chrisman, R. J. Crawford, Ralph Booth and Johnny Johnson) attacked through the Company A men and drove the Germans off the hill.”
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