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Veterans Day Parade, Albany, Oregon (11 November, 2002)


Members of the 3/505th (AHA), augmented by members of E Co. 506th PIR (NWHA) marched in the Albany Veterans day parade with the Oregon Cascade Chapter 101st Airborne Division Association.

This is the largest veterans Day parade west of the Missippi, and we were chalk number 154 in the parade. The day began with breakfast at Elmer's Pancake House in Albany with members of the Cascade Chapter, our group and the NWHA guys. Much interesting conversation ensued with the vets including a 187th PCT member who provided a lot of insight into affairs in Asia after the war and members of the origional "E" company 506th PIR (The Band of Brothers).

Among the topics of discusion were:

1. With Bill Wingit--A first hand account of the Normandy Operation. He PLF'ed in an irrigation ditch the level of which was well above his head. His leg bag did not release during the drop and acted as an anchor. Even to this day Bill can not swim but managed somehow to extricate himself, with all his equipment on, from the water.


A leg bag like that worn by Bill Winget at Normandy.

During our conversation we reflected that ,given all the weight of the leg bag, if he had come down on solid ground it might well have broken his ankle. It was then that he revealed that he had a stilletto straped to his leg which embeded itself in his ankle and broke leaving a half inch of the tip in his ankle without hitting any bone. He went through the entire operation with this in his body.

Upon further query Bill also stated that they first came under fire when passing between the Gurnsey islands en route to the IP and that it was at that time that the troop carrier formations started to deteriorate. He had no recolection of the cloud bank which was encountered shortly after reaching land fall at the Cotentan peninsula.

2. With Don Bond--Insights into the book and HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" and its treatment of Captain Spears, Captain Nixon, The occupation of Germany, and Berchesgarten.

The day ended with Lunch at Elmers and an ivitation to all parties to attend the annual chapter D-Day Pig Roast at Gerry Gomes' place in June.




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