US AIRBORNE

Many thanks to James Lemaire who agreed to answer my lot of questions! He had the patience and took time to revive this difficult time.And especially to have agreed to do all the interview in French!

James Ray Lemaire was born on October 26, 1924 in Port Arthur, Texas. At 7 years old, during the Great Depression, the family moved to Louisiana to work and live in her Uncle’s farm. Cotton, rice, corn, sweet potato, potato culture of sugar cane and the pasture for the animals.

The property of the grounds was divided into two. Half for his family, the other half belonged to his uncle.

" It was the period of the great depression, my father could not find work. We moved to Louisiana to my Uncle’s. The farm belonged to him, it provided us all the needs to make harvest and housing. "

Young Jim was part of a big family. He had 6 brothers and 3 sisters. James was the 6^th. After him were born two pairs of twins. His roots are French from the last centuries.

(NDLA : James Lemaire granted this interview in French !)

Before the declaration of war, Jim was a student in the secondary.

He was called up for the military service in August 1943 at 18 years old.

" When I celebrated my 18^th birthday, I was called up to be useful under the flag and here I was ! I did not have any problem with that. We were doing our duty. And I was glad to do it for our freedom. "

" I already had a brother who was in the Navy. In fact, my three other brothers were in the Navy. Paul, who was two years older than me spent very bad moments in the Pacific. He was decorated with the Silver Star, but never spoke about it ! All  I know is that he risked his life to save sailors, but that, I have learned it much later after he came back. Paul did his career in the Navy during 23 years ! My other brothers, the twins also served for two years at Guam in the Pacific. Everything went well for them also. "

He got the traditional training in the state of Texas from August to December 1943.

" During the training, they asked for volunteers to join the units of parachutist. I was volunteer because they gave you 50 additional dollars and furthermore it was very fun. I signed in November 1943. I was then 19 years old."

With the end of year 1943, James Lemaire was sent to Fort Benning, to get his parachutist training. The training began on January 15, 1944. He went thereafter volunteer for the " communications ".

" I easily achieved this turn of force without problem during 4 weeks before being qualified as a parachutist. Then, I followed 9 week of training to be qualified like communication/morse code/courrier until the end of May. Then, I received a 3 weeks permission. In fact, I was asked if I wanted to be a radio operator and I accepted. And fortunately, that avoided me taking part in the jump of June 6. A combat which I avoided !! "

At the end of June 1944, James Lemaire left the United States for England. He crossed the Atlantic and landed in Liverpool. He was sent as a substitute in an unit of parachutist : the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

" We were on July 8, 1944, I was incorporated in the HQ of company A of 505th PIR in Quorn in England. I Was a Private First Class. "

On September 17, 1944, James Lemaire carried out his first jump of combat for Market-Garden operation in Holland. C-47 flew in direction of DZ " N ".

" the jump went very well, but the flight was very hard for me ! The fear that the plane would be hit and cut down. Fear of being hit whereas I am still in the air. I swear I prayed and put my life in God’s hand. "

" I also thought I would have to kill men, that scared me to death ! But at the same time I was grateful my training prepared me to that. "

Once on the ground, James got rid of his parachute, collected his radio and tried to find out his captain, Capt James Cockrell of Maryland. Then, he had to take cover in the close wood to the DZ.

"An anecdote which remained engraved in my memory as if it was yesterday. When I arrived at the edge of the wood, I saw a German body, his face against the ground, the body pierced of balls from the top of the head to the legs. I could not believe it, he was killed as he was trying to run away. I was in a total shock, I could not help but vomiting and crying.

Not very a long time afterwards, I saw the body of a dead American, a ball in the chest. I said to myself " a body for another" and also how the war is terrible ! In the same time, I hated the Germans to have taken his life. My first day of combat was terrible it remains engraved in my memory. But I left without a scratch.

Thanks to God, during my first day of combat, whereas the shootings were nourished, a soldier who had fought a lot before " Frenchie, head down! "Without that, it is certain that I would have been killed ! "

On November 17, 1944, the 505th PIR left Holland to rest at Camp Suippes.

" I remember very well that this barracks did not have bed ! We slept in the hay with the fleas ! They were like huge living rooms without furniture but with an office to do the businesses of the company. Considering I was a secretary at the HQ of the company, this was where I was spending most of my time. "

During this period, James Lemaire did not get a real chance to receive a permission for Paris, Brussels or England. On the other hand, as he was one of the rare men to be understood and who spoke in French, he often accompanied the officers during the weekends so that they could make purchases in Paris. Sometimes, James was also used as an interpreter with young ladies.

 " Then, they left me to end their business all alone with those ladies. I sometimes wonder how much it has cost ? Sometimes, they stayed over the night or the weekend ! At that time I was free to visit Paris ! "

But James knew that the war was far from being over. The way was still long before reaching the heart of Germany !

" But I thought nevertheless that our division was going to remain a long time in rest. I was far from believing that we were going to turn over to the combat so quickly ! The dream was broken the night when we were woken up. Someone told us quickly that we must get ready to gather to leave for Belgium. "

On December 18 at 9am, the paras accepted their orders :

"The regiment was in Suippes where there was a well- organized scramble to put together all of the winter-type clothing each paratrooper could find and to draw crew-served weapons and ammunition , personal combat loads, and one day's each of the "K"  and "D" rations. "

The regiment was well organized the men had gather winter clothings and rations K and D. They also had to gather all their stuff.

" I packed my stuff, my letters, some memories bought in England, a Nazi flag found in a cellar. I did not have the chance to find them because I did not return to Suippes Camp. I was at the hospital then I left 505th PIR. They sent my letters to my parents but without my memories ! "

505th PIR was relatively well equipped to fight against the cold.

" I thought : we will still have to fight, being wounded and even killed ! But it is my faith which help me through. I did what I had to do to survive. "

Gone away from 9 am on December 18, 1944 James Lemaire arrived at Werbomont at midnight after a long day.

" the sector was calm, but someone could hear the noise of the engagements in north. Someone saw also glares of light. There was no doubt, we were in the middle of very hard combats. "

" I said myself : " Be brave old dog, you are still in the combat "

The orders of combat of the 505th PIR was to spread itself towards the east to support the companies which were folded up vis-a-vis with the offensive. The regiment left Werbomont on the 19^th to give an opinion along the Salm.

At midday, James Lemaire with the 505th arrived at Basse Bodeux. After having walked all along the night, they arrived to their positions. Company A was spread in the surroundings of Grand Halleux.

" In Grand Halleux, I lived in company of the radio operator and 4 or 5 other men in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Lambert Ducomble. Mrs. Ducomble welcomed us warmly, her husband was a prisoner in Germany. I was lucky to see them again in 1994 and 1998. "

Where they were, the situation was calm. The engagements were developed on both sides. But on December 24, the 505th PIR accepted the order to be folded up. A strong enemy concentration approached, too many so that only the 505th could stop it.

" We were turned over to Basse Bodeux where the 1^er Battalion was put on reserve. I know that men last remained and hold the line until the last moment. They gave up their equipment to avoid being made prisoner.  "

" When I have accepted by radio the order to fold up us, I was occupied cooking a rabbit. I took time to finish to cook it and I took it along with me, I ate it later. I said to Mrs. Lambert that it was going to be evacuated. I accompanied her to the truck. "

"I remember very well this Christmas Eve, it was very cold in the snow covered Ardennaises forests. My thoughts went towards my family. There was not a person on our premises who did not sing "Christian Midnight" and which had a thought for the enemy who had put us in this horrible situation during a chapter of our young life."

On January 3, 1945, the 505th PIR took the offensive again, with the objective to get to the Salm. The orders were that the men had to leave their equipment to be lighter with equipment and to ease the moves. All hope that the services will be able to bring them to the first lines before the night would fall.

"My opinion on these orders? What a madness!! I think the officers sometimes lost their mind! But they did not asked our opinions!"

Obviously, the services did not go to the front! The men suffered terribly from the cold!

"I believe that during the nights from the 3^rdto January 5^th, my feet were frozen. From that, I still suffer! Not having a dry sock did not arrange the situation!!"

"We jumped out of our foxholes not to freeze."

In the afternoon of January 5^th, the services brought the equipment to the first lines. But despite everything, the cold transpierced even until the bottom of the sleeping bags.

This day was not so bad in the sector of A company, but it was on the first line and suffered bombings.

"To arrive on the side of the surroundings of Abrefontaine, we were lucky to find houses and barns to be safe under a roof."

"I was assigned in the Baiwir family’s house. I was moved to the cellar where I met Mr. and Mrs. Baiwir, one of their daughter and her little boy and another girl. As I spoke French we spoke for hours. Our addresses were even exchanged. This bond is still alive today!"

"the top of the house was destroyed and these poor people were in real misery. I left their house the following day, with a heavy heart to see these so sad people! Consequence of an idiot and a regime who wanted to control the people to increase..."

January 6, 1945, the paras were always on the first line. Always under the fire of the German guns.James Lemaire accepted the order to establish a communication between the pre station which observed the enemy and the back to direct fire on them. The German bombardment had destroyed the wire.

I had to tighten a phone wire for a campaign phone. I moved towards a man located in front of our lines and which observed the enemy lines. It was very hard because I had to crawl not to make me locate by the enemy."

"I remember, I moved backwards when a shell burst behind me! And although no shrapnel hit me, I was under the shock of the explosion.It is all I can remember."

"All I can remember is a terrible headache and a giddiness."

"I do not remember how long I remained thoughtless. I believed I came back to my unit later in the afternoon. It is really confusing for me."

"What is certain, it is that the next morning, I was evacuated towards the Verviers campaign hospital. Then towards another hospital but I can’t remember except that I was evacuated towards England. My reports/ratios of service said that I suffered from exhaustion, the nerves and the "feet of trenches"

"It is not the first time I am lucky to avoid death whereas other comrades fell around me!"

"I cannot remember this period well. I know that I was under a shock treatment based on insulin to help me to forget all the scenes of fights. I could wake up at night with very realistic nightmares. The old soldiers always think they never want to revive those scenes of carnages and devastations, those lives losses."

When he left the hospital, James Lemaire was transferred to the USAAF. Since he had the cold feet, there was no way for him to get back on the first line and to join his comrades of the 505th PIR.

"I have learned thereafter that several comrades escaped and left the hospital to get back to the 505th. I did not know that it was possible. On the other hand, I know that it is a bad mark for your military file. Me, I was declared "inapt for the fightsbecause of my nerves."

With the US Air Force, they recruited radio operators. James Lemaire was thus assigned with the Air Force, first of all in England and then in Compiegne, in France. Very quickly, James Lemaire was assigned as mailman.

"I was based in Compiegne from March 1945 to August 1945."

"On 6, May 7 and 8 I was in the office where the teletexts output many coded messages. I knew that the end of the war was for very soon. When I finished my day on May 8, someone told me "yes, the war is over!"

"In June, I again fall sick because of my nerves! I was sent again to a hospital, close to Paris. There, I was lucky to get a permission for few days."

"Then, I left Compiegne on the 1^erAugust for a train journey to Cherbourg where I embarked in a ship hospital for the United States and North Carolina.I unloaded on August 15 1945."

Thereafter, James Lemaire was sent to a large hospital in San Antonio, Texas. He got a 30 days permission so he could get back home to get better.

"2 years, 2 months and 26 days of service. I was demobilized on my 21^2ndbirthday! On October 26, 1945!"

"I took holidays from October 26 until March 15, 1946. Then, I got back to my studies and got my diploma in June 1949. And then, I got my exams to become secondary school teacher in May 1950."

"I started to give course from September 1950 and during 27 years to students from 14 to 18 years."

James Lemaire got married on August 17, 1946 with Yola Marie Duhon.

"We raised 3 boys and a girl. We now have 9 grand children and 8 great grand children."

After having left teaching, James Lemaire worked for some lawyers in courtsdoing researches for oil reservoirs, gas and minerals and title deeds.

Then, since 1987 he worked as an Executive Director for US Government Low Rent Housing until his retirement in 1996.

Since the end of the war, James took part in 5 meetings with veterans of the 505th PIR.

"I am always happy to see my old buddies! But it is harder in this moment. Many us are sick. Then our great ages are a problem."

James Lemaire also returned to Europe, on the steps of his history.

"I traveled to Europe for the 50^2ndbirthday of the DDay in 1994. Then, I returned in 1998 during 3 weeks with my wife to visit to my Belgian, English, French and Dutch friends."

From the war, James Lemaire did not keep anything but its memories.

"I had stuff, a Nazi flag, medals which I had exchanged with a French soldier. But all that disappeared at Suippe Camp in 1945. I still have maps of Paris, Luxembourg, England, Rheims. "

"I have also letters of friends of France and England which they wrote me when I was in 3 different hospitals. One of them contains a photograph of a cousin’s wedding. I had met him nearby the hospital where I was in Paris. He married a French woman. I was his best man."

"I did not want to keep a thing which could remind me of the war."

James Lemaire was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal, the Good Conduct Medal,the World War II Victory Medal Combat,the Infantry Badge and the Honorable Service Lapel Button WW2.

His feelings about the Germans:

"At that time, I hated them. They were responsible for all the horrors of the war! And even more when I learned that my best friend, George Sonnenburg, lost his life in the battle of the Trois Ponts, the evening of December 21^st."

"He was like a brother. It is with him that I trained to become a parachutist and then to become a "radio".

"Nowadays I still have some hatred for their officers, but it was the war and what could we do about that?"

Nowadays, James Lemaire lives peacefully in Louisiana.

"My hobbies, except my"darling"(still since 61 years of marriage) are reading,watching television, working in the backyard and to be busy with my flowers and my small garden. I also like to get busy with my children."

On our 55th wedding’s birthday. There is all my family except a daughter-in-law and 3 little children.