Local WWII Paratrooper “Band of Brothers” Shares Wartime Experiences at Mound Museum

MOUND MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES SPOTLIGHTS

LOCAL WWII PARATROOPER “BAND OF BROTHERS” SHARES WARTIME EXPERIENCES AT MOUND MUSEUM — THE MOUND SCIENCE & ENERGY MUSEUM is honored to have JAMES H. “PEE WEE” MARTIN (101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment/G Company) as our guest speaker on Wednesday, August 26, 2015, beginning at 7:00 PM.

Mr. Martin joined the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in July, 1942. He was soon given the nickname of “Pee Wee” due to being the lightest man in the regiment. He accepted the moniker as a badge of respect. In anticipation of the coming invasion of Hitler’s “Fortress Europe”, the 506th arrived in England in September, 1943. Jim Martin parachuted into Normandy (landing near Saint-Come-du-Mont behind Utah Beach) at 12:30 AM on June 6, 1944. He fought in the Normandy campaign for thirty-three days. On September 17, 1944, the 101st Airborne Division jumped into Holland in the leading wave of “Operation Market Garden”. Jim landed near the town of Son. G Company fought to secure “Hell’s Highway” during this ill-fated operation. The 506th PIR was then sent to Mourmelon, France in November after more than sixty days of fighting in Holland.

On Dec. 16, 1944 Germany launched its last major offensive in the West, The Ardennes Offensive, later known as the “Battle of the Bulge”. The 101st Airborne Division was trucked to the Belgian crossroads town of Bastogne. After participating in operations in Germany early in 1945, the 101st Airborne Division ended their war by occupying Adolph Hitler’s mountain home in Berchtesgaden. Jim Martin arrived back home in the states in Sept., 1945. In early 1946 Jim married Donna Veverka. They built their own home, and had five children and have lived on the same property since 1946. Jim “Pee Wee” Martin, now 94 years young, is one of the last remaining “Toccoa Men” of 1942, (made famous by the highly-acclaimed HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”) Jim is still traveling meeting the public and carrying forward an eyewitness account of his unit’s experiences. He does so as a representative of the veterans of the 101st Airborne Division who are no longer here, and in an effort to promote and preserve the legacy and lessons of the Second World War. Mr. Martin will be presenting his talk at the MOUND SCIENCE AND ENERGY MUSEUM, 1075 Mound Rd., Miamisburg, OH, on Wed. Aug. 26, at 7:00 PM. For more information, please check our website at: http://www.moundmuseum.com. The presentation is free and is open to the public.

Attachments

Social