Airborne!
Celebration of a Knight of the French Legion of Honor

Notes on a great example of one of the greatest generation,
My neighbor, Bill Priest

John L. Bailey

Newspaper clipping from June 7, 1944

Last June 6 this nation and the world marked the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. This month on November 11, we honor this nation’s veterans of all wars. In reflecting about the generation that fought in and survived World War II, a person may start to wonder about perspective — the pivotal moments in our lives. For those who were alive at that time — especially to those who were actually involved in the war — this was one of those pivotal moments. One who actually was there is my neighbor on Snell Isle, William H. “Bill” Priest, Chevalier, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division. He marched off to defend our freedom over sixty years ago, to defend the independence we enjoy today. For this, he along with 100 Americans, received France’s highest and most prestigious military award on June 6, 2004. This group symbolically represented the 150,000 soldiers who landed on Normandy sixty years ago. What will future generations understand about that conflict? Ask anyone about the “war to end all wars” that took place from 1916-18. All that anyone knows about it today is something in the history books and some occasional faded photographs or scratched movie footage on the History Channel.

For many Americans today, World War II is just words in another book of history. For my children, and perhaps your children, this is all they know about that war. It's just another event in some bygone time. Yet, some of us recall it vividly. Although I was only a young child during that time, it was lived vicariously through loved ones who actually were directly involved in the fighting.

Another of that greatest generation uttered these words on June 6, 1944, directed toward Bill Priest and the others — the men and women of the Allied Expeditionary Forces:

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The tide has turned! I have full confidence in your devotion to duty and skill. The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Bill served in several major World War II conflicts, including the Battle of the Bulge during the winter of 1944, a battle that resulted in 81,000 American casualties. He also participated in Operation Market Garden in Holland, where thousands more were killed and injured. These are the men who established the “Screaming Eagles” tradition of America’s warriors, shouting “Airborne” as each exited the planes, many of them destined for death on Normandy’s cold sands along the beach on June 6, 1944. The drop zone was in error. They should have been about six miles inland from Omaha Beach, but were released over Utah Beach, near the little village of Ravenoville. As Bill relates the experience today, “I should have died four or five times that night.”

Soldiers of the 377th Parachute Field Artillery along the road leading into Ravenoville

Bill landed literally on top of a German bunker that he thought was a sand dune. When he looked over edge and saw the artillery meant to wipe out the American forces, he realized his predicament. He eventually made it out, although his foxhole buddy Lou Labrack did not. Lou stepped on a German mine shortly before daybreak.

In Bill’s words —— At midnight on D-Day, about 26 men including myself, landed on what we thought was Utah Beach. The darkness was supposed to provide some cover, but the artillery fire made it look like 4th of July in Coney Island, with tracers, flares and gunfire. While parachuting in, I misjudged and landed hard in a sand dune wrenching my ankle. The landing also tangled me up in my gear. Then things got worse; as I looked up I saw someone coming toward me. It took only a few seconds to realize it was a German soldier. I pretended to be dead; I lay very still, breathing shallow. The soldier examined me and believing I was dead, moved on down the beach. I noticed an anti-aircraft gun nearby and used a grenade. It worked, but that wasn’t the most harrowing part. I spent the night wandering, trying to figure out where I was. At daybreak, I headed toward a distant fence. It took me about an hour to get there. Once I scaled the fence, I looked back and almost fainted from what I saw — on the fence were a skull and crossbones, the symbol for a minefield. I had been walking all night through a minefield! I lost six of my friends there. Along the way I reunited with 24 members of my division and set up a gun position with six other men. The next day we went back to where I landed and captured 135 German soldiers from a bunker.

Bill Priest in June 2004 inside a bunker similar to one on which he landed

Priest in foreground with his gunnery section in Bastogne, Belgium at Battle of the Bulge in December 1944

The next jump and battle was in Holland on September 17, 1944, where we were under heavy fire. There were lots of dead and wounded; many were blown to pieces. We were trucked to Bastogne, Belgium, where by December 22, we were completely surrounded by the Germans. It was bitter cold and we were not dressed warmly enough — no overshoes, gloves or overcoats. Food was in short supply and we ran out of ammunition. The Germans asked us to surrender but General McAuliffe said “Nuts” to the German offer. After the weather cleared, the Air Force dropped ammunition, food and doctors. For 31 days, the Division held positions along the Moder River until Patton’s Army broke through.

Bill has told me about some of his experiences, including “playing dead” recounted above. He recently mentioned to me that later in the evening of his landing, while trying to regroup with his fellow soldiers to carry off their mission, he heard a noise in a nearby hedgerow. He used his “clicker” and awaited another “clicker’s” response. Nothing. Then Bill whispered a password and waited the responding password. Again, nothing. Bill then fired a couple of rounds into the bushes when a voice called out: “Stop! I’m your sergeant!” Bill recognized the voice and yelled, “Why didn’t you click back or answer with the password?” His sergeant said he had lost his “clicker” and couldn’t recall the password in all of the confusion.

Last June, when Bill received the Knight of the Legion of Honor, he was escorted to Paris, all expenses paid as a guest of the French people. There were four days of special ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary, that included President George W. Bush and French President Jacques Chirac. The Medal was pinned onto Bill’s uniform by France’s minister of defense and veterans affairs, Michele Alliot-Marie. Bill was one of five Floridians chosen for this honor, that included former congressman Sam Gibbons. The next day, at the age of 82, he actually joined five other of his old comrades in a parachute jump onto Normandy. Bill has letters of congratulations from Governor Jeb Bush and French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte to mark the awards occasion.

Bill Priest, with son Jim to his left and a French official after receiving the French Legion of Honor award on June 6, 2004

Bill and Joan Priest celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary

Bill is not an ordinary guy. He spent his two years in the Army, just another of these heroes who did their duty, then was discharged and went on about his life in his home town in New York. The only thing is, like thousands of others, his life was changed but he adapted and made the best of it. He had many of the problems of returning veterans after being in the middle of combat. His most stabilizing experience was marriage to his sweetheart, Joan some years after coming home in from the war. After the war, he worked in several jobs, including one as mechanical engineer for the New York City water department for 28 years, before retiring to Saint Petersburg. Through the years, he kept himself physically fit and trim, and started parachute jumping again, mostly from Zephyrhills.

Over the last several years, Bill has made 146 jumps, singly and in formation with others. This enabled him to participate in the Fiftieth Reunion Jump of Normandy in 1994. He has kept in contact with many of his buddies from the war, and regularly attends various reunions throughout the U.S. and other countries. He makes sure that those who pass his modest and well-kept bungalow on Snell Isle know of his patriotism. A large United States flag flies day and night, properly illuminated. On special occasions, he adds the 101st Airborne flag that features the “Screaming Eagle” insignia. During his 1994 and 2004 excursions, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today featured him and others who accompanied him as part of their coverage. He is proud to show film clips from both shows.

Priest, on one of his 146 parachute jumps over Zephyrhills, Florida

On occasion, his enthusiasm erupts in unpredictable and momentous ways. When my wife’s daughter was married a few years ago, Bill and Joan were invited to the ceremony and reception. Bill was asked to speak a few words of congratulations for the newlyweds. His gracious and heartfelt words offered health and prosperity and in conclusion, he tried to think of a congratulatory comment, but could only utter the one memorable phrase of the 101st as they jump from their plane —— “AIRBORNE!”

This is Bill Priest —— Knight of the French Legion of Honor, also honored with the Grimaldi Dynasty Medal from Prince Ranier III of Monaco. In addition, Bill has been honored with these citations from the 377th Field Artillery —— Presidential Unit Citation (army, Streamer embroidered Normandy) Presidential Unit Citation (army, Streamer embroidered Bastogne) French Croix de Guerre with Palm Netherlands Orange Lanyard Belgian Fourrangere 1940 Cited in the Order of Day of the Belgian Army for action in France and Belgium Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm Cited in the Order of the day of the Belgian Army for action at Bastogne Bronze Star in three campaigns: France, Holland and Belgium plus Battle of the Bulge.

Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won. The skies no long rain death — the seas bear only commerce — men everywhere walk upright in the sunlight. The entire world is quietly at peace.

THE WAR’S END: General Douglas MacArthur

In terms of how we measure our history in this country, sixty years is not very long. But for the generation that participated in and knows about World War II, this was a life changing event — a pivotal moment. Perhaps these moments were so significant, if only because those people were so young. These men and women can actually say “Yes, it happened that way, it shaped my life this way.”

Do your part to honor these brave people, this “greatest generation” on November 11, 2005. At the very least, fly a flag in honor of our veterans.