Point of View

The Greatest Generation

Interview


The midday sun filters through the partially open door of the first floor studio apartment revealing the frail form of an elderly man sitting-head in hand-on the edge of an unmade bed. His snow-white hair weaves its way through his crooked fingers. He is surrounded by boxes and steamer trunks, a few pieces of mix-matched furniture and a TV tray which doubles as a bed-side table. An autographed photo of the cast of “The Wizard of Oz” hangs off center on a vast and empty wall above a neat pile of books and old newspapers. An entire life time of memories is contained within the walls of his tiny one room studio where he lives in solitude and where time no longer has meaning.

This is the home of Eugene Horgan, an 84 year old World War II veteran and one of the few remaining citizens of the greatest generation known in American history. He was born in August of 1921 in Philadelphia, PA and went into the Army in 1942 where he was assigned to the 101st Air Borne. Like so many of the young men that served, Eugene does not consider himself a hero. “We knew it was our duty,” he says in a gentle voice. “We trained for months and made many practice jumps to get ready for D-Day.”

Eugene stood from his bed and made his way towards one of the boxes along the wall. Sifting through an assortment of papers and note pads he returned holding a creased and yellow-aged form letter. “This is what they gave us before D-Day,” he said handing over the delicate paper. It was headed, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force and addressed, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! “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…” It ended, “Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.” Signed; Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Not long after reading that hortatory message, Eugene and thousands of other paratroopers like him took to the skies and an experience they would never forget. “The flak was so intense, that our planes were forced off course,” recalls Eugene. The biggest airborne operation ever attempted: 925 planes, 13,000 men of the U.S. 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, heading for six drop zones all within a few miles of Ste.-Mere-Eglise. Only one, the 505th landed according to plan. Sixty percent of all equipment was lost, including most of the radios, mortars and ammunition. Worse still, most of the men were lost. “My chute caught in the branches of a tree and I hung there slowly swaying back and forth in my harness,” Eugene recalls. “We spent weeks hiding from the Germans and trying to locate our units, but we didn’t give up.”



Eugene returns from that terrifying day so long, the crack in his voice testimony to the shadows that cross his heart and the echoes in his mind, looking up from his bed and shyly smiles. These days he spends his time reading or exploring the neighborhood clinging to memories and experiences from his life. He never married, has no children and never owned an automobile. He never complained or uttered a regretful word. He is the greatest generation, he is an American.


Eugene passed away not long after this interview, no longer alone.