January 1945

Chapter 3

So far as I could tell, I was the first invading soldier to enter the French city of Metz since Charlemagne. &bsp;

The Treaty of Verdun, dividing his empire between his three sons, was executed in 843 AD, resulting in an uneasy peace lasting until the twentieth century. Charlemagnes invading forces were many and well-armed, capturing much of Italy and Germany, sweeping all opposition before them. &bsp;

I, on the other hand, was alone, carried no weapon, and had no idea where the enemy soldiers might be but I too reached the cathedral square in safety. How could I, an ordinary medical corpsman stroll unimpeded through such a critical city?&bsp; How could this happen?&bsp; How did I get there, and where were the Germans? &bsp;

Lets go back a few days and see.

For several seemingly endless weeks, soldiers of the American Third Army had been moving to liberate the city of Metz. This involved breaching the heavy concrete fortifications that were part of the Maginot and Seigfried Lines located on ridges around the city above the Moselle River. &bsp;

Several forts fell after viciously bloody battles; a few others that would not surrender were simply bypassed. Finally, late on a cloudy and chilly morning in November 1944, a small column of American infantrymen proceeded carefully down a boulevard heading toward a bridge across the Moselle to what seemed to be a city park, a pleasant sight indeed, particularly since we were only a few hundred yards from gunsmoke and death. &bsp;

We learned later that this was actually an island in the Moselle and, in fact, included a large playground with boathouses and athletic fields. We had seen no German troops and heard no gunfire for several hours so we approached the bridge somewhat casually.&bsp; Our column of troops began walking across the bridge in a haphazard sort of single file. &bsp;

For no real reason, I was the soldier at the head of the line approaching the far end of the bridge; others were on the bridge or still approaching. Suddenly we heard a loud crumping noise and crashing sounds accompanied by a blinding cloud of dust. We realized later that the bridge had been mined to be destroyed by remote control by the withdrawing enemy as we crossed.

The roadbed sank down onto the water and the rocky bed of the river but fell so slowly that all of us escaped injury with several soldiers running back to the street, quite a few splashing into and out of the river safely, and one only, me, escaping to but trapped on the Ile Sainte Symphorien. &bsp;

All the other soldiers gathered together along the side of the road by the river, but with no bridge could not proceed further nor could I return to join them.

I, however, could move on and since I did not yet realize I was on an island, I strolled toward the city ahead. Shortly, I was of course stopped by the smaller second leg of the river, (actually a canal). &bsp;

By good luck, I saw a small boathouse nearby, broke in, found and paddled in a liberated one-man red canoe out of the boathouse and over to the city itself.

As I stepped onto the city street, I realized that I still had seen no enemy troops. I decided that they were probably more intent on escaping from Metz than staying around to fight so I moved along fairly quickly.

I walked around a corner and up a gentle hill, seeing ahead on the left a large building with a walled courtyard. Through the patterned openings in the wall, I could see twenty-eight Mercedes sedans and limousines lined up facing the exit, all of them polished and several with little fender-mounted flags. The three-pointed star of the Mercedes group was not so familiar then; to a Polk County boy, the sight was spectacular. I finally realized that what I was seeing could only be the transport in which the entire German headquarters group planned to flee. &bsp;

Shortly thereafter, American troops from another division appeared in the distance so the Germans never left that courtyard in their staff cars. Instead they departed packed into the back of the U.S. Army trucks as the encounter slowed to a close.

However, there is a postscript I cannot omit.

The hour was growing late and snow had begun to fall when I reached the doors of Metz cathedral, a Gothic sanctuary from which all the stained glass had been removed for safekeeping for protection against bomb and battle damage. My day reached a never to be forgotten climax as I stood at the east front doors looking down the full length of the ancient cathedral nave with the altar almost invisible through the swirling snow: an incredible image.

As is typical of the army, my group was reassembled later that day and ordered to move on early the next morning, I have never seen Metz again.

Holland Brady, a local architect and a native of Tryon, designed the Tryon Presbyterian Church, Forbes Preschool, the Parish house at St. Johns of the Wilderness in Flat Rock and the Columbus United Methodist Church as well as the fire stations in Tryon, Columbus and Landrum. Many unique residences carry the Holland Brady signature. &bsp;

Brady was in the army from 1943 through 1946, serving with the 9th and 15th U.S. Armies, the British Second Army, and Gen. George S. Pattons Third Army.&bsp; He holds the Combat Medical Badge, three Battle Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, a Presidential Citation, the Victory Medal, and the Purple Heart.