A P.O.W. Remembers

by
Pvt Archibald J. Chaska, 82nd Airborne Division, 504th PIR Company A

We went overseas about January 23rd, 1945 and landed at LeHavre, France about February 1st and went directly to the front lines to relieve around the "Bulge" area. We made no combat jumps overseas and I was in the hospital for hemorrhoids at that time. I think the hospital was the 42nd General at Suisonne. My feet were starting to give me trouble and I reported in to this hospital for some treatment about a week after hitting the front lines. I mentioned my hemorrhoids at the same time and the doctor told me to forget my feet. He put me to bed for the hemorrhoids and I was in the hospital for about two weeks. At that time they even tried to give me a Purple Heart for the hemorrhoids. It was so silly that I refused.

I left the hospital to rejoin my outfit and we crossed the Rhine. Shortly thereafter, in April, 1945, I was taken prisoner for nine days and we marched seven of these days. Along with some of the others, my feet got so sore that I could not march as fast as the rest. The Germans split us into two groups. Those of us with sore feet were picked up by a German truck and rode about five miles at a slow rate before our planes came over and set it afire by strafing. Everytime any of our planes came in sight, we were forced to jump out of the truck and take cover in nearby fields. The time when the plane got our truck, my feet were so sore that I couldn't even leap the ditch to get into the field but stumbled into the middle of the ditch to take cover there.

With our truck gone, we had to start walking again. We walked until the ninth day when we were liberated by some unknown outfit. At that time my feet were red, swollen and so blistered that the skin just rubbed off. We were given first aid for our feet and made preparations to be sent to England. However, one of the officers had to get some clean clothes before he left and he told some higher officer in a nearby replacement area about the trip. They were short of men and before we knew it all the enlisted men were assigned back to combat. The officers told us that we were going to occupy a nearby town so we loaded our musette bags with all our possessions. As I was the assistant machine gunner, I alternated carrying the barrel and tripod of the light 30 caliber. Besides this I carried my M-1 rifle, 3 bandoliers and ammunition belt. It turned out that we marched 3 straight days instead of just a couple of miles. Toward the end of the march, my feet felt as if I were pounding along on the stubs of my legs. I kept dropping behind the rest but would walk while they were resting and thus managed to keep fairly close to them.

We ended up in a town that I think was Dormeits, immediately across the river from the Russians. We were here when the war ended in May. A little while later my feet bothered me so much that I was taken by ambulance to an unknown hospital in Reims, France. I was here just long enough to get first aid as they were very busy. They gave me some combination arch supports and sent me back to my outfit. The arch supports weren't much good but I didn't see much sense in going back as we were soon to leave for the States. All of us P.O.W.'s left for the States in August. I arrived in Minneapolis about the middle of September and didn't return to Texas to be discharged until about February 1st. I relaxed and rested my feet during this time so they didn't hurt too much.

( The above story was an excerpt from Pvt Chaska's compensation claim
and submitted by his granddaughter Tia Wilke. )

Eddie Livingston - D-Day Pathfinder - POW

It is my sad duty to advise you of the passing of Pvt. Eddie H. Livingston I Co/504.

Eddie came to the 82nd by way of the AAF having served at Chanute Field in the parachute test facilities there. He told me that he was "the original test dummy". Anything they thought they could strap on to a man and deliver by parachute they strapped on him first. He had over 178 jumps not counting qualifying, training and combat jumps (3). His combat awards included an un-presented DSC, one Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and seven Purple Hearts.

(The above photo is of Eddie H. Livingston from the Pathfinder photo of Normandy stick #16, June 5, 1944.)

He also told me that in the big "Invasion Lottery" held by the 504 on the return trip to England from Italy, he spent three bucks and picked June 5, 6 and 7.

Eddie was a member of the 504 volunteer group which jumped in Normandy. He went in with the team of 2/508 on DZ N near Picauville, France. Eddie was captured on June 9, and spent the rest of the war in POW camps as a slave laborer--in the coal mines.

Eddie's Form DA 1577 reflects that he was awarded the DSC for the action in which he was captured. It was never presented. Research on my part through several archives has failed to locate any reference as to the citation.

I had the distinct honor to meet Eddie in November of 2000. He was a "Devil" through and through. Immensely proud of his service with the 504.

Word of Eddie's passing was received from his niece Pam Baker, with whom he had been living for the past three years.

David R Berry
Dayton, OH