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Posted: 1/21/2013 1:49:00 PM EDT
 In October of 2005, I was in Toccoa, GA for the "Camp Toccoa Reunion” – an event where paratroopers that had trained at Camp Toccoa during WW2 came together to be honored and to talk about their experiences. It was Friday morning and I was at the Stephens County Historical Society Museum looking over their collection of items that had been donated over the years. I heard someone mention that Jake McNiece was outside. Jake was a member of the Demolition Section If some of this sounds familiar, after the war men of theof the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division – better known as "The Filthy Thirteen”. This group of men is legend among legends, or rather at the time anyway, were probably the most notorious group of paratroopers in the US Army. Hellraisers and ne’er-do-wells, they spent as much time in the brig as they did in the barracks. They came by their nickname due to that fact that while training in England they washed infrequently and never cleaned their uniforms. In the prelude the D-Day drop, several members of the Filthy Thirteen were photographed sporting Mohawk haircuts and painting their faces like Indians.  unit were approached by Hollywood folks to make a movie about them. The men of the Filthy Thirteen didn’t want anything to do with it, so Hollywood took the idea and turned it into the movie "The Dirty Dozen”. My first meeting with Jake lasted only a few minutes, but I will never, ever, forget it. He was dressed in a reproduction M1942 Paratrooper Jumpsuit and was slightly bent over with age. He looked like someone’s grampa, not like someone who had fought through the entirety of WW2. I asked him if he’d be kind enough to sign my copy of his book ("The Filthy Thirteen” co-written with Richard Kilblane) and he said that he would. As he started to write, he asked whether my father or I had ever served in the military. I said that yes, both of us had. Then I watched as this man, who had four combat jumps (Normandy, Holland, & later into Bastogne as a Pathfinder and finally in Germany, again as a Pathfinder to set up DF gear to guide in resupply aircraft for a division that had been cut off) write this in my book: "To Buckeye67, Thank you and your Dad for serving our country so well. Thanks, Happy Landings, Jake McNiece, Sgt. Filthy Thirteen” I couldn’t believe he’d written what he did. I said to him, "Jake, I think your service was a lot more important than mine ever was”. He got a mischievous look in his eye and grinned and replied, "well, it was just a war… someone had to fight it”.  I saw Jake again the next year and presented him with a paracord bracelet that I had made. He put it on and rubbed his hand over it and said, "feels good, don’t it?” I didn’t get to talk to him much that year, but had a good laugh when someone asked how he was doing and he said, "Well, I’m still on the right side of the door.” At the banquet that Saturday night, as I said goodbye to him I said, "Jake, you stay on the right side of the door!” Jake cackled with laughter. That was the last time I was ever able to talk to him, but I’ve thought about him often ever since. I was very deeply saddened to learn that Jake made his last jump at 02:10 hours this morning at age 93.  Blue Skies, Jake. The world’s a lesser place without you. |
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:02:44 PM EDT
[#1]
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:10:12 PM EDT
[#2]
Those are some of the finest people who ever lived. We lose so many who's stories never get told. My great uncle passed away 12 years ago. He served in the Marine Corps and was wounded on Iwo Jima. Sadly, he never liked to talk about his experiences during the war.
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:11:53 PM EDT
[#3]
RIP and what a life!
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:15:54 PM EDT
[#4]
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:21:38 PM EDT
[#5]
Recently I went through rehab after an injury and an old paratrooper was the funniest person I had ever met.
I posted it here. He griped and bitched the whole time and I'd get him going. "Goddam sergeants! I thought it would get better after I became a lieutenant, but no. The only difference was that had to call me 'sir' when they told me what to do." was the funniest thing I ever heard in my life. You have to love people like that. |
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:22:46 PM EDT
[#6]
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:26:44 PM EDT
[#7]
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Posted: 1/21/2013 2:36:56 PM EDT
[#8]
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Posted: 1/21/2013 7:28:49 PM EDT
[#9]
Thanks for the link.
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Posted: 1/21/2013 7:36:23 PM EDT
[#10]
Thanks for sharing. |
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Posted: 1/21/2013 7:46:54 PM EDT
[#11]
Man...
The ORIGINAL conception of the DIRTY DOZEN. Rest Easy, SIR. You've earned your Wings for sure. |
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