US AIRBORNE

L'histoire de John Leather fut présenté sur des panneaux lors de la marche: Dead Man's Ridge Walk en 2014 en présence de John et deux de ses enfants.

John William Leather, son of Lewis Leather and Bertis Irving, was born on November 23rd 1924 in Beaver Creek, Washington County, Maryland. He had an older brother, Lloyd, as well as an older sister Mildred. His family, of German and Irish descend, owned a 40 hectares farmland in Smoketown, raising cows and chickens and growing vegetables. John spent his school years in Hagerstown, and helped his parents with farm work in his free time. At the outburst of the Second World War, he was just finishing High School. With thet degree, he got a job at the « Danzler Metals » plant in Hagerstown, assembling milk jar strerilizers.

At age 17, he unsuccessfully tried to join the Marine Corps, the Navy, then the Army Air Corps, but was systematically rejected because of his flat feet. He finally got drafted on April 3rd 1943 in the Army. A week later, he was sworn in and had to say goodbye to Katherine, a girl he was dating.

On the path of war :

On April 10th 1943, John arrived in Fort George G Meade, Maryland, to be processed through administrative and medical procedures and received his uniform and equipment. As a new Private, he was given the serial number 33719192 and taken to Camp Mackall, North Carolina, for basic training. He was given no choice and joined 1st squad, 1st platoon, Fox Company, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment (F/194GIR), 17th Airborne Division, freshly acivated April 15th 1943. Colonel James R Pierce was the commanding officer of this regiment initially acivated December 16th 1942 as a regular infantry regiment.

Living conditions at Mackall, next to the city of Hoffman, were crude and rather uncomfortable. Men lived in wooden barracks covered with tar paper. Sans and dust would infiltrate everything, and the summer sun sent thperatures into records highs, starting wild fires. At the end of physical training aimed at enhancing physical conditions and team spirit, John was promoted Private First Class, and started gliderborne training. From then on, the use and overall knowledge of the CG-4A Waco glider had no secrets for the young man soon to become acting Corporal. On January 7th 1944, he received his glider wings. In February, John Leather and his regiment took part in the Tennessee maneuvers for a full month, in the rain, snow and freezing wind. The pine trees, rocky, sandy muddy surroundings made this experience even more harrowing. On March 27th, John arrived in Camp Forrest, Tennessee, where he enjoyed better living conditions. Corporal Leather became familiar with all kind of weapons. On June 17th, taking hold of an opportunity presented by the 17th Airborne Division commanding officer, General William Miley, he went through parachute training and got his jump wings.

Training at Camp Mackall - 1943

Prelude to Hell :

On August 14th, the division made final preparations for overseas movement, going through Camp Myles Standish, next to Taunton, Massachussetts. Six days later, John boarded the USS Wakefield in Boston, heading for Liverpool. The crossing took eight days. On August 30^th, he reached Camp Chiseldon by train, near Swindon in Wiltshire, in the South of England. On September 17^th, the 17thAirborne Division was held in reserve for Operation « Market Garden » in which it would take no part.  Day and night trainings continued non stop, in the air and on the ground. On December 12^th 1944, the British Horsa Glider John had trained with the previous day crashed, killing all crew members. Had this accident taken place a day earlier, John's days would have been over. John spent his first two days furlough visiting London with his buddies.

On December 19^th, following the German offensive through the Ardennes in Belgium, the division was alerted. In less than 24 hours, F/194GIR moved to Ramsbury airfield in Wiltshire. The men carried all their equipment, including heavy weapons and ammo. Four days were lost as no plane could take off due to heavy fog, or as no aircraft were available because of the airlift to Bastogne. John remembers the Red Cross distributing cookies. « As we were waiting, I got dry biscuits with tiny raisins in it. I stuffed them in my musette. They smelled funny and tasted like soap, but I ate them all anyway. » On December 24^th, the sky cleared up, allowing most of the regiment to take off and land at 17.35 hours about fifteen miles North-West of Reims, France. In the middle of the night, John walked into Camp Moumelon, next to Châlon-sur-Marne. On December 25th, at 22,30 hours, he boarded a truck as a freshly promoted Sergeant, and moved to Sedan in the Franch Ardennes. The mission of F/194GIR was to guard a bridge over the Meuse River, and to patrol along the river banks in order to warn off any German activity. All along the five days there, the weather remained cold and damp, with very limited visibility. Every night around midnight, an enemy plane flew along the river banks, and tried to bomb the bridge. John remembers the first bombing raid. « We did not know for sure what was going on. It was all new to us and it frightened us. Shooting at it didn’t do any good, except maybe trouble his sighting. The bridge finally came out unscathed. »

During the night between January 1st and 2^nd 1945, the division was ordered to move towards Bastogne in Belgium, to be attached to General S Patton’s 3rd Army. John destrucked in Morhet-Station. « On January 3rd, my squad was ordered to patrol along a railroad track next a station, and link up with 101st Airborne Division troops. We walked for 2 or 3 miles but never met anybody. My Staff Sergeant Bernard H Deem decided to turn around and move back towards our platoon. » Around noon the same day, the 194GIR set up his command post in the village of Magerotte. The 17th Airborne Division relieved the 11th Armored Division, taking position between the 87th Infantry Division on its left flank, and the 101st Airborne Division to the right. Men were ready to fight an enemy supposedly weakened and half heartened. Things turn out quite differently, and sheer guts, tenacity and courage were decisive to face tanks, mortars, and guns manned by the SS Brigade Remer Panzergrenadiers, entrenched along the ridge bordering the main Marche-en-Famene – Bastogne Highway. Snow was one and a half foot deep at some point, and the cold was intense, causing a lot of evacuation because of frostbite. In the evening, Col. Pierce releaved his attack plan for the next day. The objective was the village de Flamierge, beyond the highway. Lt. Col. Frank L Barnett’s first battalion (1/194GIR) was to stay in reserve, while 2^nd Battalion (2/194GIR), Lt. Col. John T Stewart commanding, would attack on the left flank and 3rd Battalion (3/194GIR) on the right flank. Acting as 3rd battalion was the Lt. Col. Edward I Sachs 550th Infantry Airborne Battalion (550IAB) attached to the regiment. These men were veterans of the Southern France campaign. To the right hand side, the 513PIR was also ready to launch an attack on Flamierge, driving through Mande-Saint-Etienne and Flamisoulle. The 507PIR was in division reserve behind the 194GIR. The area had already seen a lot of heavy combat since December 30th, when the 11AD tried to broaden the corridor South of Bastogne.

The Bulge, and the end of innocence :

On January 4th, at 08.15 hours, following a short artillery barrage, Captain Robert J Dukes F/194GIR, altough in reserve, set off from its base of departure in the Pinsamont area. Following D and E companies, it moved through open fields to the West of the Rechrival-Lavaselle road. The battalion’s objective was hill 460 North of Rechrimont and Laval. With the arrival of the A&B/550IAB in Hubermont, Millomont and Renuamont at around 10.00 hours, the German resistance stiffened everywhere. Snow and blizzard appeared in the afternoon and made things very difficult. Around 14.00 hours, 2/194GIR was hit by a counter attack led by German infantry and eleven tanks supported by 88mm guns located on top of hill 510 behind Renuamont. This ensured the first heavy casualties in Hubermont and Rechimont. Despite the fear such a weapon inspired, John could not help admiring : « For me, the German 88mm gun was the best in the world. We could hear them fire in the distance, but we could not see them. » Around 16.00 hours, E/194GIR reached with great pain the top of hill 460, but soon retreated under enemy pressure. The company dug in two hundred meters underneath. F/194GIR barely avoided a bayonet attack to rescue its sister company, E/194GIR. The situation worsen by the hour in the evening as the regimental command post moved to Brul.

This very day, holed up in his foxehole with one of his men, Sergeant Leather was shot at by a shell that ripped the pine tree behind him. When the shooting was over, he crawled out of his hole to pick up the branches and use them as a roof which probably saved his life during the next barrage. In this hellhole, John began to accept this situation as inevitable. « Later on, as we changed positions, I tried to dig a hole, but the ground was frozen solid an in my first attempt, the tip of my entrenching tool curled. I was soon to discover that digging in was useless, because the soil was so hard, and because we never stayed long enough in the same place. I’d rather save my energy and just sit wherever we stopped. If I was to die, better die rested. »

2/194GIR started pulling back in the wee hours of January 5th, but was ordered to hold as long as the B&C/550IAB were involved in hand to hand fighting in Renuamont, under a deluge of mortar shells. A 05.00 hours, Col. Pierce ordered a full retreat of his regiment to the village of Houmont, where F/194GIR found cover in a farm and buildings. Along the way, lots of materiel, weapons and ammo were lost. Around Renuamont alone, casualties are estimated at one hundred sixty men KIAs, WIAs or captured. In the morning, eleven Sherman tanks that came as reinforcement were destroyed by German artillery, or routed. On the other hand, three German tanks were KOed and more fled. Enemy snipers harassed the troops.

On January 7th, on General Patton’s request, the division renewed its attack to capture Flamierge. The 194GIR was directed to take the halmets of Rechrival, Hubermont and Millomont, with 2/194GIR on the left side and 1/194GIR on the right. A badly mauled 550IAB remained in reserve in Houmont. Temperatures dropped to the low 20°F. A fog was drifting and snow was falling. Carrying only weapons, ammo and grenades, the men of 1/194GIR were first to jump off at 08.15 hours, heading for Millomont, followed two minutes later by 2/194GIR rushing towards Hubermont. F/194 passed through Rechrival by 10.00 hours, reaching Hubermont. John’s platoon was on point, and pushed beyond the village. Around noon, the Germans counterattacked with full strenght, forcing Capt. Dukes to pull his company back to Rechrival, ordering the men to hold at all costs. Snow started to fall with the break of day. John and his buddies stayed in Rechrival for the following days, like an outpost isolated about a mile ahead of the regiment.

While John’s squad was protecting Rechrival, Staff Sergeant Deem got killed by the blast of an exploding shell. John tried to give his superior some assistance by dragging him towards a jeep that could take him to the rear. His efforts were useless. It was therefore his turn to take charge of his comrades. These days are forever embedded in their mind as « the Battle of Rechrival ». « Later on, a messenger came asking for support up front. I cheered mys guys up, but one of them replied that it was suicide. To avoid problems with my superiors, I thought I would have to have him court martialed, but actually, I had other things to worry about. Up on a hill in the distance, we could see the church steeple where we thought some sniper was hiding, even though we were not quite sure. In any case, there was lots of activity in our area. We would move from one hamlet to another until we found some rest and protection inside some building. During the night, when my turn came to stand guard, I set up my BAR next to a window. My reflexes were challenged when I heard a growing yet regulr noise coming my way. I thought it was some German and I was ready to open up when I realized the cause of my anxiety was nothing but an errant cow. I was relieved and happy not to have awakened my comrades. » The following days, the 194GIR and 550IAB held their defensive positions, repulsing several enemy patrols.

On January 12th, by the break of dawn, a rumor spread out. The enemy had retreated from Laval, Hubermont and Renuamont, leaving but delaying units. At 09.00 hours, and in spite of a less than favorable weather, the third push of the regiment was successful against a retreating enemy, heading North-East. The hamlets were finally liberated and a patrol from 1/194GIR reached hill 510 around 13.20 hours. On that same day, everywhere, the division from was moving forward. It had broken the lock after an eight days effort.

On January 13th, in the morning, the entire 194GIR jumped forward across the main highway. At 10.15 hours, the three battalions spread out from hill 510 to about 600 yards North of Flamierge, along the road to Salle. Col. Pierce moved his CP to the hamlet of Tronle. In the evening, recon units observed enemy tanks and infantry retreating to the East. After the fall of Bertogne on January 14th, the division went into defensive mode while pushing on and taking prisoners. In the ensuing days, supported by the 11AD, the 17th Airborne Division chased stragglers from the 9 and 130. Panzer Divisions and 26. Infantry Division in the direction of Compogne, Mabompré, Houffalize and Limerlé. By January 20th, while approching the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg, the advance was stopped by heavy snowfalls, obstacles and mine fields laid by the Germans to slow the Allies down. For three days, John and his buddies enjoyed a joyful break. « Once in division reserve, we immediately began to look for a little warmth inside the buildings. It was no luxury, but at least, we were no longer outside. Food was brought to us, along with mail from home and newspapers. Altogether these elements contributed greatly to our well being. »

In the evening of January 24th, after this short period of rest, the regiment moved on by trucks to the Hautbellain area to support the 193GIR in its attack the following day. At 08.30 hours, Col. Pierce set up unit on the 193GIR right flank, where the division was most likely to be exposed to German counter attacks. On this occasion, it was supported by the 761st Tank Battalion and its African-American crews ; a very much appreciated support. The next da, even though the 87ID was supposed to relieve the 17th Airborne Division its troopers kept up their pace forward, allowing F/194GIR to reach Goedange. On January 27th, around 21.00 hours, the division was relieved and made movement towards the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg.

On the edge of the Siegfried Line :

The Battle of the Bulge officially ended January 26th. This date also marks the beginning of the Rhineland campaign, the border crossing and the DSiegfried Line breakthrough. The division’s mission was to protect a ridge called « Skyline Drive », repulse all German forces to the eastern bank of the Our river, cross that river and secure the ridges beyond the Siegfried Line. The division was facing the 5. Fallschirmjäger Division and the 79. Volksgrenadier Division.

Following a long truck ride, the week of January 28th til February 4th offered a moment of respite to Sergeant Lather and his men, still in division reserve in Pintsch and Enscherange. They stayed alert and ready to relieve their buddies of the 507PIR, 513PIR and 193GIR holding defensive positions on the west side of the river, between Dasburg and Hosingen. This second rest and rehabilitation period was more than welcome to the 194GIR men. In the meantime, weather got milder and snow began to melt.

On February 5th, the 194GIR relieved elements of the 6th Cavalry Group, spreading its 1st Battalion to the North, right in front of the Siegfried line, with 2^nd Battalion in the center, in regimental reserve in Consthum, and 550IAB to the South, also in reserve on « Skyline Drive ». Patrols were sent out right away, to observe the Siegfried Line and bring back prisoners for interrogation. Whenever John had to seek protection against enemy shelling, rather than dig into the frozen ground, he just sat there and just took it.

On February 10th, the 17th Airborne Division was relieved on the line by the 6th Armored Division and moved off by train and trucks to Camp Châlon-sur-Marne, France, where it arrived two days lter. John’s regiment was relieved by the 1252nd Engineer Combat Battalion.

John managed to protect himself from the cold after a few days experience in the Bulge. « We learned that a blanket was more efficient spread over a foxhole than wrapped around the body. It would this way perform as a roof and retained body and breathing heat. We would also cut them up to use as under jacket liner or to wrap around our shoes, which did not prevent us from tapping the ground to keep the blood flowing. Sticking your hands under your armpits was also a good way to keep your fingers warm and able to pull a trigger. During this constantly freezing campaign, our materiel also suffered badly. My canteen was first to go and I found it swollen by the frozen water inside. Cold was so intense that my hands and feet partially froze. »

Under such terrible conditions, John could not change clothes, neither shave nor wash in any decent manner. Hygiene was at the lowest level. His uniform included his wool pants and shirt, an M43 combat jacket and pants with cargo pockets added. He also carried a raincoat and a blanket. His M1 Garand rifle and grenades were his main armament. John occasionally carried a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). All along the seven weeks he would spend in France, Belgium and the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg, John never got the chance to wash his clothes, and his socks became absolutely repulsive. In the meantime, he was only once served a hot meal, living most of the time on C and K rations.

Châlons-sur-Marne, a new area :

Detrucking at Camp Châlon-sur-Marne on February 12th 1945 did not come as good news to the men of the 17th Airborne Division, who for an entire week were tasked with organizing their own billets out of scratch ; setting up tants, and company streets, building gates and digging slit trenches and makeshift lavatories. This great logistic task took place in foul weather and ever present mud and rain. Within two weeks, the 194GIR was re-equipped, and back to full strength. Training sessions, both in the air and on the ground were carried on immediately. On March 1st, the new Table of Organization & Equipment came into effect and had the division reorganized. Like many other units, the regiments incorporated survivors of the 193GIR and 550IAB badly mauled and finally deactivated. The regiment from then on included three organic battalions. John Leather was not concerned by these reorganizations and remained in his company. However, and considering his great leadership displayed during the Battle of the Bulge, he was officially promoted Staff Sergeant.

On February 6th 1945, the First Allied Airborne Army headquarters called for a new airborne mission aiming at setting foot on the eastern bank of the Rhine River, in the area of Wesel and Hamminkeln in Westphalia, Germany. This would lead the way to the river crossing by the Allies divisions eager to rush east. This operation called « Varsity », and involving the British 6th Airborne Division, would be the third campaign and the first airborne operation for the 17th Airborne division. To fulfill this mission, the 194GIR would be supported by the 681st Glider Field Artillery Battalion, B and E batteries of the 155th Airborne Anti Aircraft Battalion, as well as glider pilots from the 435th, 436th, 437th and 439th Troop Carrier Groups who all received a light infantry training. This constituted the 194th Glider Combat Team (194GCT).

Transfers to the assigned airfields began in the evening of March 19th for the 194GIR. All airfields were under strict security, to enforce the secret of the operation. Though in quarantine, the men enjoyed a great deal of free and fun time, such as movies, library, sports, games, music, mess hall and religious services. As he would regularly do during all his time in the service, John took some time to write a letter to his parents, to keepin touch and bring some news. During the last three days in the marshaling areas, men were briefed with the latest aerial photos, maps and studied sans tables models. In the meantime, all the equipment, weapons and ammo were loaded in the gliders.

Operation Varsity, combat in the heart of the Reich :

Operation Varsity was the first for different reasons : for the first time the C-46 Commando air-plane was put to use, first glider landings on a non secured landing zone behind enemy lines, and first use of dual towed gliders. The divisional combat Teams took off from twelve different airfields located to the East and North-East of Paris. The order of battle had the 507PRCT landing first, closely followed by the 513PRCT, 194GRCT, sub units and Headquarters. Once airborne, the flight  lasted some 2 hours and 18 minutes. The Germans heard about the operation about a week before D-Day, leaving them enough time to concentrate their forces North of Wesel, using hurriedly assembled stragglers from artillery and infantry elements.

Landing Zone « S », the area the 194GCT was aiming for was located North-East of the city of Wesel, lined by the Issel River and its canal. John’s regiment mission was to take and hold eight bridges over the two streams, establish a defensive line facing North-East and South-East, and eliminate all resistance in the area until relieved by ground units coming from the Rhine Western bank.

On that morning, Staff Sergeant John Leather woke up at 03.30 hours and had for breakfast, half an hour later, steak and apple pie. Once fully equipped and ready to go, he and his dozen men from his glider load, hung around underneath the glider wings, then boarded at 06.45 hours, a few less than one hour before take off. Moral was high. « CG-4A Waco gliders were built using tubular structures covered with canvas and plywood. The fragile and vulnerable looks of these motorless aircrafts gave an uneasy feeling but our training built up our confidence. Nevertheless, we had butterflies in our stomach because this time, we were going for good. My men and I boarded Glider #21, from my company’s. » John’s glider was part of serial A8, taking off from Coulommiers-Voisins airfield, some fifty kilometers East of Paris. Towing was performed by a C-47 Dakota belonging to the 437th Troop Carrier Group, IXth Troop Carrier Command, IXth Army Air Force.

At 07.34 hours, all 194GIR gliders were airborne within eleven minutes. Perfect weather rode with them in an uneventful flight. The noise inside the Waco made conversation difficult. Several men dozed off, while others chain-smoked, trying to hide their fear. Two pilots were in charge and took over the wheel every fifteen minutes, making sure tow cables did not interfere or hit the second towed glider, bearing #22.

Once over the Rhine River, a deluge of anti-aircraft and small arms fire hit the airborne troops, with exploding shells, heavy smoke, and shrapnels flying in all directions and finding already some targets. John remembers the shrapnels impacts hitting the canvas of his glider sounded like someone beating a drum. At 10.36 hours, without any delay, the glider pilot released the cable and turned into a quick landing approach. Enemy fire was intense and the glider got hit by small caliber bullets. Men hooked onto one another and held their weaponsclose to their body to avoid getting hurt on impact. « I remember we landed in the middle of a cow pasture, ripping a fence and then sliding into a ditch and hitting a post that broke on impact. The glider came to a halt after a lot of screeching. A few meter from the ground, accordingly to regulations, I unlocked the door to avoid getting stuck inside in case the cabin distorted. We were so hyped that my men jumped out before the glider came to a complete halt. We regrouped and hunched under the wing and someone yelled to freeze. I looked up and saw another glider slide a few inches over our aircraft. It came really close to smashing into ours. Others were not so lucky and many collied or smashed into trees. In spite a broken left landing gear, we were sound and safe, along with our equipment. All around me, the fields were filled with gliders because our serial managed to land in tight formation. I had a hard time figuring out where we were and I ordered my men to follow our Platoon Sergeant, Technical Sergeant Curtis Rome, who seemed to know our location. Later on, we found our platoon leader, First Lieutenant Joseph Thomson. »

According to plans, Lt. Col. Barnett’s 1/194GIR was to hold a position to the East and North East of LZ « S », to occupy the banks along the Issel River, hold five bridges and, if needed, destroy them. The battalion quickly fulfilled its objectives in spite of some resistance from the German occupied woods and neardy ditches.

Forty five minutes after landing, Lt. Col. Stewart’s 2/194GIR assembled enough men to overwhelm enemy defenses and take its objectives. Its mission was to take and hold three bridges over the Issel Canal in Obrighoven, between the Issel River and the Emmerich-Wesel railroad tracks. The battalion repulsed two counter attacks by enemy tanks, then reached the banks of the canal, and later on linked up with British ground units. In the afternoon and later in the night, German resistance stiffened and got better organized, especially close to the river and the canal. G/194GIR was first to land but mostly out of the LZ. Its objective being to take up position along the canal close to the railroad tracks, it fought its way to the planned position, an area two thousands meters long. Within fifteen minutes, E/194GIR assembled a full platoon, took prisonners and spread to the left flank of G/194GIR for about five hundred meters. Located in the middle of the landing zone, the 1052. Infanterie Regiment and the Artillerie Regiment « Elbe » CP was soon taken over by Cap. Dukes F/194GIR who landed close by, right on the LZ. John took no part in this action but fought in close proximity. The company moved on and held the canal on G/194GIR left flank, all the way to the « Bärenschleuse » locks. It captured about four hundred prisoners, destroying three tanks in the process with bazookas.

Last to land, the 3/194GIR, scattered in different places, managed to regroupa round 16.00 hours and secured the railroad tracks. It was joined by the 435th Glider Pilot Combat Team that later repulsed a night counter attack.

Most of the fighting on the LZ ceased around 15.00 hours, with only a few skirmishes till the end of the day. The regiment was opposed by elements of the 84 ; Infanterie Division supported by a scattered 20mm and 88mm Flak, as well as self propelled guns and a few tanks.

This very day, once the situation well in hand on the LZ « S » close to Lackhausen, John Leather’s platoon moved on, securing farms and households the Germans had turned into strong points. Around 16.00 hours, John reached the canal and settled on the Eastern bank. Unfortunately, what came next did not turned out like planned. « My squad was following a path when our platoon sergeant came running in my direction, oredring us to take immediate cover in a trench. I quickly realized some tank was aiming and shooting at us. Why shelling us ? A machine gun would have for sure routed us. »

This close encounter with an enemy tank changed John’s fate when he would have rather stayed with his buddies. « The shell hit a big tree and the blast had me flying in the air in the split of a second, without knocking me out. I did feel something hitting my right foot but I kept running towards the trench. Once safe, I removed my shoe. There was a blood stain over my sock. I did not want to leave my squad for such a small wound, but the pain was getting worse. I swore and cursed for a while. Finally, I decided to go to the aid station, on my men’s insistence. I gave my grenades and ammo to one of them, keeping one grenade and a full clip in my rifle. My idea was to get my wound dressed, and then rejoin the line, even if I had to use my gun as a cane. I got scred when I saw Germans in the aid station, but I quickly realized they were helping our guys, probably happy to be out of the war. »

For John too, combat days on the European Theater of Operations were over that day, as his wound turned out more serious than expected ; a piece of shrapnel had dug into nerves and tendons. He was evacuated the next day to the West bank of the Rhine River to a better equipped surgical unit.

Reluctantly, he had to leave his men who moved on to fight in Westphalia. His regiment then took part in the taking of cities like Haltern, Dülmen, Nottuln and Muenster, before being attached to the 95th Infantry Division for the crossing of the cities of Suttrop and Ansberg, in the Rühr Pocket. The going was fast and lots of ground were covered, as German forces collapsed in front of the Allies rush. April 12th went for the record as the 194GIR last combat day in Europe.

The end of an era :

After spening time in numerous surgery hospitals, John Leather arrived in Liege, Belgium, at the 28th General Hospital. His recuperation gave him the opportunity to visit Paris, France, in April. Wounded in action in the face of the enemy, he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. He returned to F/194GIR when Germany surrendered. At this time, the unit was staioned in Essen, a city taken on April 10th by the 507PIR. Soon, military authorities began securing, pacifying and chasing Nazis on all occupied territories. Like many others, John would spend a lot of time looking for concealed weapons, searching buildings and chasing hidden Nazis. Next to these police duties, he enjoyed life in peace time, canoeing the Rühr Canal or joining sporting events organized by the regiment in Duisburg stadium.

On June 15th, the 17th Airborne Division began pulling out from occupied German cities, and was transferred to the Nancy area, France. The 194GIR was billeted in Luneville, each battalion in different buildings. 2/194GIR stayed in Stainville Barracks where, thanks to the summer sun and high temperatures, easy life was in the air.

A few weeks later, Staff Sergeant Leather was transferred to the 515PIR, 13th Airborne Division, because of his qualification as a paratrooper, and hi slow point status. He was to soon return to the US, before shipping out to the Pacific Thater of Operation.

During the first twoo weeks of August, John was sent to the « Lucky Strike » transit camp in Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Normandy. He stayed there a short while before boarding the victory ship USS Costa-Rica Victory in Le Havre on August 14th, bound for New York the next day. That same day, Japan’s surrender put an end to the Second World War, and drastically changed John’s life. « I got scared twice aboard that ship. I was sleeping on my bunk when an incredible racket woke me up. On the docks, people were raising hell, making noises with all available stuff. I thought the war was on again, and that I was being shipped to the front again. Actually, the word of Japan spreading. I was very happy. Furthermore, we sailed through a storm and the anchor was beating against the hull of the ship. It was hitting so hard that I thought the hull would give in, but nothing happened. »

John arrived in New York on August 22nd and was sent to Fort Meade, where it had all begun two and a half years earlier. However, his wound was still bugging him, and he had another unsuccessful surgery. The surgeon told him the shrapnel was on a bad spot and if removed, might cause permanent damages to his nerves and tendons. To this day, John still carries this shrapnel inside his right foot.

And then ?

Staff Sergeant Leather was processed out of the Army on November 19th 1945, two months after the 17th Airborne division was desactivated. Once back in civilian life, John returned to work for « Danzler Metal ». He then attended « Milwaukee School of Engineering » and went back to Hagerstown with his degree. He found a job at « Hagerstown Plumber Company », heating department, where he teamed up with Grant Auman, a Navy veteran. Together, they founded their own plimbing and heating company, until Grant’s departure. John went on alone until retirement.

By the turn of 1945-1946, John met Lorraine Weaver, three years his elder. They got married on June 7th 1946 and had four children, Steve, Becky, Susie and David. John became a Grand Dad in 1999 and 2005. Lorraine died of cancer in 1999. Two years later, he met Geraldine Knott and married her some times later. To this day, he spends his time gardening, attending 17th Airborne Division reunions, and working for local vets associations.

John was in the service in the US for sixteen months and tend ays, then one year and nine days overseas, including eighteen days cross ocean round-trip. Back in the States, he stayed another two months, and twenty seven days in the service until discharged. He participated in the « Ardennes-Alsace », « Rhineland » and « Central Europe » Campaigns. Staff Sergeant Leather holds the following awards : Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal with one Bronze Arrowhead and three Bronze Stars, WWII Victory Medal, Occupation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation. He also holds the « Glider », « Parachutist » and « Combat Infantryman’s » Badges.