Interviews with World War II veteran proved to be learning experience
U.S. Army Corporal Bill Megla offers a glimpse into the realities of war
I want to step away from my usual content for a moment to talk about a three-month project I recently finished.
Back in September, a friend of mine asked me if I was interested in talking to his dad Bill, a World War II Army veteran, about documenting his experiences from the war. I had some free time on my hands, and thought, “Why not; it would give me something to do; and I might even learn a few new things in the process.”
After a phone call to Bill, I agreed to spend some time with him to discuss his involvement in the war. I took notes, shot some videos and photos, and scanned some of his memorabilia he had collected in two scrapbooks. 
As I began to put it together in some sort of chronological order, I went online to clarify some of the places and events that Bill described in relating his experiences to me. I didn’t realize how little I knew about World War II. I knew about the Holocaust from history books, and other significant events like D-Day, but there were so many other smaller battles and events that I was unfamiliar with. I met with Bill about five or six different times between September and November, 2011.
The result of all of this is a 28-page manuscript detailing Bill’s war stories, or what he calls his “incidents.” Some of them were funny. A few of them were sad. Many of his memories were not pleasant. But they all happened to Bill.
My dad was in the Navy during World War II, and spent his time in the Pacific. I wish he had told me his stories. But most of the men who returned from this war did not discuss their stories.
Thank you Bill for sharing your stories and “incidents” with me. They proved to be a great learning experience. I hope your family appreciates them as much as I do.
Below is an excerpt from the manuscript. If you’d like to read the rest of Bill’s stories, you can download the PDF here.
Close call
We were coming through an orchard one day, and an American P-47 fighter plane was flying over. The plane spotted us coming through the woods. The pilot thought we were Germans and started strafing (firing) at us. There was a cart there, so I jumped under the cart to get away from the shooting. Then the pilot pulled up. Someone had put out a panel (a marker, like a big rug) to let the Americans know we were allies. After the plane left, I looked at the cart I had hidden under. The cart I had jumped under was full of mortar shells. If the plane had hit that, I would not be here today.
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2 Comments
Faye,
I ran across a business leadership article the other day that suggested not using war metaphors, as the only people who think those are cool are generally not the ones who have ever experienced war. Those who have experienced war generally do not put it on a pedestal. I was reminded of that by this post.
Thanks!
Thanks for reading and commenting David. I found it rather interesting that this generation never discussed “their” war; unlike later generations who returned from their wars (Vietnam, Persian Gulf, etc.) and were willing to talk about their experiences.