US AIRBORNE

All my thanks to Curt Gadd for answering all my questions as for his kindness and his availability. Thanks also to Hélène for the translations and always being present.

Curt Gadd was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 24th, 1921. When he was a child, his family left Detroit for Zanesville, Ohio where Curt grew up and where he went to school. He left school to leave to the South with a friend to make a fortune under the Floridian sun. But totally disillusioned, he did not make a fortune there and returned home in Cleveland.

He was employed at the Thompson Aircraft Products until he got tired to hear "Why ain't you in the army" (the announcer was not there either!) On July 14th, 1943, Curtis joined the army. He was immediately sent at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, the reception center.

On July 16th, 1943, he volunteered for the parachutists, one of the 7 among 3000 recruits who opted for the supplementary $50 a month for a dangerous service. In October, 1943, he went to the jump school within D Company of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 13th Airborne Division which would later be connected with the 17th Airborne Division on October 19th, 1943.

He carried on his training at Fort Bragg and at Camp Mackall, North Carolina before being transferred to Camp Forrest, Tennessee for the maneuver and the preparation of the overseas journey.

Curtis and his companions left the United States for England in October, 1943.

Barely settled in England, Curtis Gadd volunteered for the Pathfinders.

“My volunteering for the Pathfinders was what we referred to as a cleansing of the company. It gave the Company Commander the excuse to get rid of a whole lot of people they did not want to but they could not separate from. We were not the best soldiers of the garrison. Those of us who were selected to be pathfinders were free spirits or people with civilian thoughts. Did you know the pathfinders were volunteers to do suicidal missions? In my case, with my friend we were the first AWOL on the foreign ground. That was my ticket for the pathfinders.”

Curtis Gadd followed the training to start with in the North in Nottingham for the basic training. Then in the South at Chalgrove base at about thirty kilometer from Oxford.

“We were trained in the use of the panels for recognition on the ground, smoking bombs, recognition and direction of the wind. Two radios and a ground radar which leads the leading airplaine. For me, the pathfinder training was damn easy.”

But in December 1944, Curt Gadd was back to his unit. The Germans had launched an offensive in the Belgian Ardennes.

“All my past trips were forgotten and I was back to my Communication Sergeant rank. Captain Dean and I were from the same town and we were a little bit against each other back in the civilian life and back on track during the war. Paul was killed during our first combat during the Battle of the Ardennes.”

Curt Gadd cannot remember that much about this time in the Ardennes. He can remember the 513^th entered the combat area at Stenay in France on 25^th of December 1944. His first combat happened on the 3^rd of January 1945 in Morhet.

“The weather was crap, snow up to your ass. My personal mission was to stay alive and not to die of the freeze. The mission of the 513^th: I did not know ! The “laitons” did not share their plans with the infantry.”

Curtis remembers having crossed the villages of Celli, Bertogne, Compegne, Lavigny, Steinbach, Eschweiler and on January 29th, 1945 Enscherange.

Curtiss was hurt in the head during the battle of the Ardennes.

On February 10th, 1945, the 17th Airborne was removed from the front. It was sent to Châlon-sur-Marne in France. Then, was sent to a secured camp to get ready for its first airborne operation, the Operation Varsity.

Curtis again joined the team of the Pathfinders. He was promoted Tec 5, as an operator radio.

“No special training, you just have to know that a stick jumps from the right door and the other one from the left door. We were told the mission of the pathfinders was canceled right before the jump”

Curt was not sure of the exact day when he was warned about the mission which was cancelled. On the other hand, he returned to his unit where he was promoted as a Staff Sergeant in charge of the 2nd platoon. On the 24^th of March, Curt made his first fight jump. It happened very well. Books tell he was the first American parachutist to kill a German.

“This story, the one about the fact I was the first to kill a German is almost a fairy tale, I told it so many times I should have printed it and put it in my medical folder. I am going to tell it again the way it was told which appears to be completely impossible though

A para got a M1 which was broken in 3 parts for the jump. Those 3 pieces are folded in a canvas case called Griswold bag which is up against the breast underneath the harness of the parachute and attached with a latch. A version tells I was sitting nearby the airplaine door and I killed which means that my M1 was not broken in 3 parts. The first version I raised my gun, and I killed a Nazi who wass galopping with his horse across the field. The true story is: as I was driving by jeep to the place where the airplane was stationed before the jump I told myself it would be interesting to get a gun ready to use as soon as possible once I touched the ground I then did what we called a 5 finger requisition or a midnight requisition and I took the M1 with the right butt of the jeep (the paras had the version with the folded one) and I left my gun with the Griswold bag in the jeep. That way I was ready to shoot once on the ground and that’s what I did when I shot this German guy who ran away lying on the back I shot through my feet and the guy fell off the wagon he stood on. I don’t know if I hit him or if he fell over heels on his own I did not check out but I had the impression someone was shooting at me and my first thought was : “get over here”

Once on the ground, his mission was to join up with his platoon and to clean the area. During the operation Varsity, Curt was hurt for the second time.

“The second time was during the explosion of a shell which killed the man sitting right next to me. His name was Mike Kmetz from Pennsylvania. None of them made me missed one single day of combat.”

After the fights, the 513th joined up with the British tanks of the Guard Armored where the men climbed on tanks to cross Germany.

“I was on a tank of the Scots Guards with some members of my platoon. I did not know how they were assigned but maybe we just climbed on the first tank available. We stayed there until the fear of crossing the road.

The unity did not meet an important resistance. Only towards Munster where a pocket of fanatical German resisted in a wooded area.

“One of our officer, the lieutenant Sam Calhoun of F Company asked to put the bayonets on the guns and ordered the assault of the wooded area. He was known to be the only officer who lead a fight with bayonets. Sam was from Fresno, California. He is dead now. He retired with the rank of Major.

I think the German soldier was like most of us. At the beginning, he was probably a patriot, a volunteer and proud of his nation. Later, they forced whoever to join in in Europe. We found a lot of soldiers coming from different European countries wearing German uniforms, conscripted or forced to fight. We did not have animosity against those German soldiers. They did like us. They followed the orders. The only ones we were not tender with were the Waffen SS who were integrated in every single unit to make sure the orders were well followed.”

During their advance his unit freed two camps of prisoners of war and displaced people.

“ I only saw two camps. The ones we freed. Later, we were in charge of a camp of displaced people. It was an abandoned train station with 3600 men and women coming from all over Europe.

The war ended. The surrender was proclaimed on May 8th, 1945. Curtis had the luck to get a permission.

“We were given a permission to go to Paris, the Côte d’Azur and Roma. I first sent my guys over there but I was lucky to visit Paris when I would have preferred to go the Côte d’Azur”

Later, the 17th Airborne was sent to France. Those who had enough points with the 17th left for the United States and could go back to the civilian life. Curtis Gadd was transferred to the 13th Airborne which was supposed to be redeployed in the Pacific. He joined the C Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 517th PIR.

“Luckily, the war was over when we were in the Mediterranee area and the ship, the SS Oneida Victory, half turned and get back to the USA. I can’t remember when exactly I arrived in the USA but I think it was like in August.”

Curtis Gadd was demobilized with the rank of Staff Sergeant on December 21st, 1945.

Curtis Gadd was decorated with his brevet of parachutist, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart with cluster, the Good Conduct Medal. His medals of campaigns are European Theatre of Operations W/bronze spearpoint and 3 battle stars, American defense medal, Victory medal, the Army of occupation - Germany, Distinguished Unit Citation, and the badge of Pathfinders.

One year later, he got the Silver Star and the Bronze Star.

Curt returned from the war with a Mauser .22 caliber and a pair of binoculars. He also had his complete uniform.

Curt was a part of some organizations. When he was young, he was part of the VFW (Veterans of foreign Wars). He was also part of the American Legion, some other couple of patriotic organizations and also part of the Boy scouts Of America for almost 70 years.

City Center en Floride le 11 septembre 2001 – la date du terrorisme infâme.

He returned to his wife Pauline to whom he had got married on April 5th, 1944 just before leaving for overseas. He retired on March 15th, 1980 of the White Truck Company where he was a Superintendant. He joined the Real Estate Investments in October, 1979, but he sold the whole thing and moved for Sun City Center in Florida on September 11th, 2001 - the day of the vile terrorism.

He and Pauline had 4 children, Thomas, Susan, James and Cynthia. He also has 5 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
Nowadays, Curt enjoys playing golf and enjoying life.

"Curtis and I during his return to Europe. March 20, 2010."