A great day with Don Burgett

[Walt's Daughter]

Okay, kept you waiting long enough. I will now tell you the REST OF THE STORY!! Okay, at least part of it.

 

It all began with my attempt in helping "Papa" Art Morneweck in search for more info on his brother's death crossing the Rhine. I had gone to Dick Winter's Forum and posted a message and Frank Gubbels suggested a good source for info on the 506th, Co A. He said to read Don Burgett's book, Across the Rhine. So I ordered the book on Amazon.com and got it a few days later.

 

In the interim I wrote to Papa and told him about the book. I asked if he had read it. He wrote back and sent two letters that he had received last year; one from Donald Straith and yes, one from Don Burgett, both of the 101st, 506th, Co A. I then added their letters to Robert Morneweck's page. I thought to myself, what a small world.

 

Here's where the fun starts. Papa Art calls me up on the phone a few days later and says, Don Burgett wants us to come over on the 16th of December (yes, the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge) and meet him at this house. Can you go? Huh and what? Can you repeat that?? Art says, bring your book, he will sign it for you.

 

So, on the 16th I drive down to Novi, MI (where Art lives) and from there we drive out to the "country" and arrive at Don's house. As you can well imagine, I was pretty nervous. Well there was no need to be because we were warmly welcomed by Don and his very sweet wife Twyla. They were both very gracious hosts. We sat around their kitchen table and drank coffee and looked out in the woods at a herd of deer. It was beautiful site to see.

 

Well over the next three hours of so we talked about the house he built, their children and grandchildren, the Battle of the Bulge, Stephen Ambrose, Tom Hanks and the Band of Brothers, and so much more. If you've read any of his four books, then you know what a good writer he is. In person he is a great talker and we could have stayed all day and listened to his stories.

 

He has a phenomenal memory and his wife says he doesn't forget ANYTHING. Art asked Don if he kept a diary. Nope, it's just all in his head.

 

Art asked him about the day that Robert died and Don told him about crossing the Rhine to Himmelgiest. They were sent across in boats and were supposed to be a "lure" for the Germans. Patton's several attempts to enter the area were always thwarted and members of Co A were to try and entice the enemy to attack them and therefore open a door for Patton's Army.

 

Well the attempt was successful, but not without loss of life and injury. Four men died in Himmelgiest and their bodies were later retrieved by some of the men from Co A. On April 12th they re-crossed the Rhine and this is where Robert lost his life. The Germans were firing at the 506th as they attempted to get to the other side. The river at this point was a mile across, the current swift, plus it was night. Somehow some of the boats overturned and several men drowned in the chilly waters. Don is not sure if it was due to overcrowding or if a shell has landed very near some of the rafts. Though the men tried to help their brothers, nothing could be done. A few days later a couple of the bodies turned up on shore quite a ways from the crossing.

 

I asked him if he still had his nickel-plated .45 and he sure does. He said he could have lost it very easily when he was injured and in the hospital, but a very kindly doctor (and against regulations) let him keep it. He had told the doctor how important is was to him and when he awoke he felt something slip down his side. It was his cherished 45. He was a very happy man.

 

We got to see the shadowbox with all this medals and ribbons. What an impressive site that was. The photos are in the previous posts, and show Don and I and Don and Art, with his medals in the background.

 

I taped most of the time we were there and am so glad I did. I listened to about half of it while lying in bed last night. I was worried the tape wouldn't turn out. You know how that goes! But it came out a-okay. I plan on creating a page for him on my site, but won't publish it until I get his approval. He is a stickler for the truth and detail, and I want to make sure that everything I put in writing gets the BIG OKAY! I wish more people had his regard for the truth. He is a man of great integrity. What an honor. My head is still reeling.

 

There is one more story that I want to share tonight and it regards the fantastic portrait that hangs in his living room. He was at the VA hospital and there were several lines with about 15 men in each. He happened to look over and saw a line with only one man it. He walked over and then a wonderful thing transpired. The man looked at Don's jacket and saw that he was part of the 101st. The man said his brother was too, but he had died and he and the family knew nothing except for the telegram they received 60 years ago. He didn't know what company his brother was in. So Don asked what his brother's name was and when the man said it, Don was taken back because the man's brother happened to be next to Don when he died. They were setting up a machine gun when a bullet struck the man in the head and killed him. Had Don not decided to wear his jacket that day, this event would have never transpired. The man he met that day wound up painting his portrait (he's also blind in one eye) and this is how it holds a place of honor on his wall. What a story huh? Another one of those that gives you goose bumps.

 

Don also signed our books and mine will be set in a place of honor. I am now an "honorary" member of the 101st Airborne. Thank God it's honorary, I could never jump out of a plane... I like my feet on the ground.

 

Here's a few more pictures for you. I have more to tell regarding the day, but it will have to wait. I am pretty "typed-out" for the day.

 

Don's Portrait

 

Don's wife Twyla