(light music) (intense music) (food sizzling) (soldiers shouting) (plane engines roaring) (food sizzling) - [Woman] Dear sir, I'm writing to you for information concerning my son, PFC James E. Wickline who was reported missing in action on September 17th, '44 in Holland and declared dead September 18th, '45.

April 19th '46, I received a letter from the Adjunct General that it is now official that my son was killed in action near Groesbeek, Holland.

I asked for this information, how my son was killed and where buried, if he has a grave?

The answer was that you have jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to burial of those who died overseas.

I know you can imagine my great anxiety in all the long months past not knowing what happened to my only child.

If you have this information, please send it.

If not, is there any possible way of getting it?

Please, may I have an answer at as early a date as possible?

Sincerely yours, Mrs.

Myra Wickline, Mother.

(somber music) (somber music) - [Man] It's the largest airborne operation in the history of warfare.

All you can see and hear as far as you can see would be planes.

(plane engines roaring) (guns firing) (light music) (engines roaring) (light music) ♪ Lonesome sounds wanderin' the streets ♪ ♪ Somehow in arms I'm a force to be reckoned with ♪ ♪ I came here a soldier, a bird and a story ♪ ♪ She melts in my chains and lost ♪ ♪ And I ♪ ♪ And I ♪ (vocalizing) ♪ She lay on the dead grass, broken and alone here ♪ ♪ Fitting to our own and fear in our gaze ♪ ♪ There's nothing but broken bones here ♪ ♪ Nothing but broken bones ♪ ♪ And I ♪ (vocalizing) - [Man] Welcome to Morgantown AM.

From today's news to tomorrow's happenings.

- [Kyle] And good morning, Tuesday morning on Morgantown AM.

I'm Kyle and we have in the studio with us, Maarten Vossen, Monongalia County Commissioner, Tom Bloom.

Tom, good morning.

- [Tom] Good morning, Morgantown.

- [Kyle] You met some really interesting friends here.

- About a year and a half ago he said he was coming over exactly 70 years after James had died.

He wanted to do something for James, so one of the ideas the two of us kicked around was what would be the idea of also not only coming here but getting a bridge named.

- For the quest on James, it started from a child's perspective, for me he was a hero, he might have been into Normandy and into the landings over there.

So, I started dreaming about it, about this, about this hill, but after those years it also, well, the facts became also known, what really happened on them.

- We mentioned James Wickline was part of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment and you reached out to the leader of that group who's still alive, who's still with us, right?

- Yes, and we had asked for support and for the naming of the bridge and I wanna read.

His name was Richard O'Donnell and he wrote that the naming of a bridge is clearly unique.

Out of the blue, I called him up yesterday and told him, at first, he was very skeptical.

He was like, what's going on?

I explained it and I told him what he had done and what we were about to do on Thursday and he just broke down.

I mean, he was starting to cry and just say, just thank you for remembering us and what we've done.

And then he just couldn't talk and he just kept saying, this is such a great honor for me and for our group.

And that's how emotional, 70 years later, it's still affecting him.

(upbeat music) - [Maarten] So great to be back here in West Virginia.

You've done so many things on this whole quest of finding more information about James Wickline.

- I think it's a real honor to be with you.

You were here back in September and one of the things that you had requested and asked for, we started a movement to name a bridge.

It's probably one of the biggest honors you can do where you have a bridge and then there will be a sign and the bridge goes over Scott's Run, the village where he was born and raised.

- [Maarten] I'm really excited that we are really going to do this.

We created something, not just for now, but for the future as well for James Wickline.

- 20 months ago, I never said it could happen.

And it's such an honor to this community, Scott's Run, who is in the shadow of Morgantown.

Who has been in the shadow of these other, bigger, larger cities and that's one of those, we cannot forget those who they call it the greatest generation.

My dad always called it, they were from the greatest generation.

I didn't understand it, I said that was a bunch of crap.

And now I realize to go to another country and fight and, sadly, he gave up his life, something that is, when I think about it, it's just... And what's so great is that you all are taking care of him, and we can't say enough for that.

So, this is our thank you.

- [Maarten] Wonderful that we have the bridge, not only for James, but also for all the veterans.

I think that's what James also stands for.

- [Man] I'll just toast, on a toast.

(glass clinking) (wind chimes ringing) - It was just a nice little town where everybody knew everybody, you know what I mean?

It was just almost like a home.

You know, you're back home again.

Yeah.

(energetic music) Life before the war, before then it was hard.

(energetic music) Nobody had any money, particularly, the miners mining camps, you know.

Those days they would have the mine interest.

The miners would have to get in these cars, sit in these cars and the car would take 'em into the mine.

- Mostly it was just playing games with improvising or making things up to use.

We didn't have a regular football which has leather on it, because the ground of Scott's Run, because of all the coal production, there was no grass.

It was either slate or particles of coal.

So, when a ball would hit the ground it would get scarred up and it wouldn't last long.

So, we would use a milk can.

I had one here, but I don't see it now.

But anyway, just a Carnation Milk can because you could throw it, you could lateral, you just couldn't kick it.

A football you could kick, but that can you couldn't.

But anyway, we had a lot of fun with it.

- We all called him Jimmy.

We knew his name was James, but we all called him Jimmy.

That was a nickname for James.

And then Jimmy used to come up because there were no other neighbors around there that he could play with, but he could play with my brother.

My brother was just a couple years older than Jimmy.

So, he would come up to our house a lot.

- He always was dressed clean, nice clothes, nice shirt, and I didn't remember that their upkeep in the home was very nice.

They had all the conveniences that some of us didn't have, you know.

- Jimmy's father, Melvin.

His name was Melvin, he worked in the mines.

And Mrs Wickline, of course, stayed home and took care of the house, you know.

His parents bought him a bike and nobody around there ever had a bicycle or even heard of bicycles, you know.

Here Jimmy had a bicycle and he rode the bicycle up to our farm which, in itself, was a feat because you could go to the road but then when you came to the gate you either had to go around this big, long road to get up to the farm or you had to go up this steep hill.

But he would pedal that bike up to the farm so we could see his bike, you know.

- He was popular in school.

He was a very good student.

He had good knowledge.

Instead of reading someone else's homework or peering over, you know, he did his own as requested.

- [Louis] He was a good player.

He was on the starting team in '42.

In a picture that was taken of the team, taken the day before we played Morgantown High, but they beat us that year.

That's Wickline there.

And I think that's me.

See.

- James is quite prominent here on the picture, right in the middle, holding the ball, it's something that you recognize?

Was he a very prominent person?

- [Louis] Yes, yes, yes.

This is the starting team and we were the reserves.

So, he was a senior.

- For some reason, I know he had a girlfriend and I had met her and I saw her.

She's a very pretty girl and, right now, I don't remember her name but, at the time, I knew her, you know.

- [Maarten] Was his girlfriend in that same class or was she maybe one year younger?

- [Marie] That's all I really know, that that was his first jump.

And I was sorry that somehow I couldn't keep in touch with his girlfriend.

She probably would have known more, you know, and maybe she would had more letters.

- No, right off hand, I don't remember of a girlfriend.

I don't know, I'll call Lemuel Moneer and see if he remembers anything.

He's in Texas, so.

- [Maarten] We just need a name and... (telephone ringing) - [Linda] Hello.

- Hello.

Lemuel?

- [Linda] No.

- Oh.

This I think was his number, right?

You know Lemuel Moneer by any chance?

- [Linda] Ah yes, who's calling please?

- This is Louis Biry.

Lemuel knows me as Biry.

I'm actually Louis Birurakis.

- [Linda] Oh!

- In Morgantown, yeah, in Morgantown.

- Yes.

- I lived at Liberty.

- [Linda] Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I'm his daughter Linda.

- Oh, Linda?

- Yes.

- Well, it's good hearing from you, yes.

Okay, how's Lemuel doing?

I haven't talked to him for a couple months.

I talked to him a little while back.

- [Linda] Yeah, well, we lost him in November.

- Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

- Yeah.

- In November.

- Yes.

- Oh.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

- [Linda] Yeah, you know, he had heart problems.

- Oh.

- [Linda] You know, just caught up with him, yeah.

- Getting old, just like me.

I had a heart problem but, so far, I'm still kicking.

- [Linda] Well, good for you.

- Okay, Linda, nice talking to you.

I'm sorry about the news about Lemuel but-- - [Linda] Well, thank you, I appreciate you calling.

- We'll remember him.

- [Linda] Okay, thank you.

- All right, thank you.

Bye-bye.

Linda.

Oh boy.

Andy, Julien.

(telephone ringing) - [Woman] Yes?

- [Louis] Okay, this is Louis Birurakis, Lou Biry.

- [Woman] Yeah?

- Is Betty there by any chance?

- [Woman] Um, I'm not sure she'll remember who you are.

- Yes, I understand.

- [Woman] 'Cause you know she had a stroke about two years ago, right?

- No, I didn't.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- I'm sorry to hear that.

(telephone ringing) - [John] Hello, Lou.

- Hello, John.

- [John] Hello?

- You getting any rain up there?

- [John] Hello?

- Hello, John.

- [John] Can't hear you, speak louder.

- Oh.

I'm yelling.

Anyway, this is Lou.

- [John] No, no rain today.

We had rain day before yesterday.

- Yeah, the same here.

Anyway, it's good talking to you again.

- [John] The only trouble is my hearing, I don't know.

Hold the line one minute, please.

I'll switch to another phone, see if I can hear you on this one.

- Okay.

- [John] Okay, I hear you a hell of a lot better.

- Okay, very good.

The reason I'm calling, do you remember James Wickline?

- [John] James Wickline?

- Yeah, he played basketball for University High in 1942.

- [John] No, I don't remember him.

- [Louis] Oh.

He died during World War II and I played basketball with him.

I remember him a little bit but not as much as I should because my memory's slipping a little bit.

But I thought maybe-- - [John] Oh, no, your memory is not slipping anywhere.

- [Louis] Oh!

Anyway.

- [John] I won't allow it.

- [Louis] Okay, all right, I appreciate that.

I'm sorry I didn't get more acquainted with him to be able to tell you more about him but, you know, this was 60, 70 years ago and I'm getting to the point where I don't remember.

♪ You're on a mission to Mars ♪ ♪ Won't ever conquer us ♪ ♪ You're pleading words ♪ ♪ Won't ever rock unscarred ♪ ♪ You're on a mission to Mars ♪ ♪ Just let it go ♪ ♪ Oh, the thieves of us ♪ ♪ It's over half of what they owe to us ♪ ♪ They ride on limbs ♪ ♪ No doubt ♪ - [Interviewer] You've described a pretty difficult process.

I mean just the hassle and the travel, the expense, the frustration, what's kept you motivated?

What's kept you kind of gnawing at this for so long?

- When I saw that name James Wickline on the course, I knew he was someone who sacrificed his life for my freedom, for the freedom of the Netherlands but I knew that he died at a very young age and that was kind of sad.

And that was also something that really kept me going because during the years that you spend so many time on this search, it's kind of that you want to change, you know, the history.

You want to change his life.

You want to give him the life, that he just got back after the Second World War, got married, got children, you know, things like that.

And that was something that he has never had.

I wanted to create that.

I wanted to make the impossible possible because it's just so sad that he's never really experienced that.

(plane engines roaring) (dramatic music) - I was in nurse's training at the time when Jimmy was in the service and we only got a half a day off a week.

So, on my half a day off a week, my mother would give me a quarter to ride the bus so I could come home and I had caught the bus in Morgantown and got off at Osage.

As I was walking up to our home on the road, I would pass Jimmy's mother and father's home and it was as I walked up the road it was on the left and, just as I got to the front of their house, Mrs Wickline came out on the porch and she said, Marie, would you please go home and tell your dad to go to the mines and tell Melvin to come home right away that I got a notice about Jimmy.

And that's about all she said and she went back into the house right away.

I know she couldn't say anymore because she was probably all broken hearted and I just tore up that road and ran up that hill.

I got up to the top, got home, I couldn't even breathe and I told dad and poor dad took off running.

He never stopped till he got in the mine and brought Melvin home.

(soft music) All we could do was pray and, if he was missing, to hope they would find him and he'd be okay.

(soft music) So, that was that part that I'll never forget.

And that one letter that Jimmy sent me, I kept, all those years I kept that letter and no matter where I traveled, when I moved, when I got married, that letter went with me.

Every place that letter went with me.

I couldn't part with that letter.

It says 1943.

It's a Christmas card and when I open it up it says to wish you a Merry Christmas and may the worthwhile things of life be yours through the new year, Jimmy.

And that meant more to me than anything.

(cell phone ringing) - [Maarten] Hi, Tom.

- Hey, Maarten, this is Tom Bloom.

How you doing today?

- Hi, Tom, I'm doing fine.

How are you?

- [Tom] Good, I was wondering, are you driving?

Because I have some great news.

I'd like you, if you're driving, to pull off so I can tell you the information.

- [Maarten] Okay, let me put the car on the side of the road.

- [Tom] Hey, you're not going to believe what just happened.

I just got off the phone with an individual who heard about your story and just contacted me and he told me, you're not going to believe this, he was on the plane with James Wickline, jumping off.

- Okay.

Wow, that's fantastic.

- [Tom] And not only that, he said he would like to talk with you and tell his side of the story of what it was like.

He lives in Georgia and he had heard about it so this has become a national story here.

- Wow, that's just so great.

This is wonderful.

Wow, great.

Yeah.

I really appreciate it, Tom, wonderful.

Thank you so much, Tom.

Thank you.

- [Tom] Okay.

Well, I'll see you later.

- Okay, see you later.

Bye-bye.

- Bye.

- Bye.

That's great news.

(soft music) - [Maarten] What was it like to be in the plane, you know, with Margraten, was there a lot of tension?

- He jumped out of the plane and his chute failed to open so he was in a parachute accident.

Does that happen a lot?

- Really appreciate you doing this and I also want to thank you so, so much for contributing to our freedom in Europe, to my freedom, especially.

- Have a nice day, bye-bye.

- [Man] Bye.

- [Maarten] Wow.

(soft music) (soft music) - We're in a little town called Osage which is part of Scott's Run.

It's located west of Morgantown, never has been a very big community.

It was bigger when the mines were up and running but now it's pretty small.

My dad was was best friends with Jim Wickline, Jimmy Wickline, and they grew up on Bethel Road which is just outside of Osage.

It's also part of Scott's Run.

Back then, houses were few and far between.

They were the only two boys so it was natural that they were best friends and ran around together.

And then when the war started, they both enlisted and my dad went into the Intelligence Corps whereas Jimmy became a paratrooper.

I was told that when he got killed in the war, my dad was lucky enough to come back, got married, when I was born, then I was named after Jimmy Wickline.

That's my first name, James, and then Edwards, my middle name, which is after my father.

So, that kind of ties the two back together even after his death.

- [Maarten] Well, it's wonderful, yes.

- One thing I do have, we found in one of my father's scrapbooks, is a picture of Jimmy Wickline leaning in front of his car which is in front of their family house.

Essentially, my vehicle is parked about where his vehicle is.

We're standing in approximately the same location.

And their house was back in here.

As you can see now after 70 years, the parents moved out.

The house is gone.

Mother Nature's taken over.

- It's actually amazing just to stand in the exact spot where he is standing right over there.

- Yeah.

- It's unbelievable.

- Yeah, I mean 70 years after his death, we're right back here, essentially, where the whole thing started.

(gun firing) - The naming of this bridge behind me would not have been a reality without the persistence of Maarten Vossen, who at the age of 13 in 2002, adopted the grave of James and made it his mission to learn more about the person who was buried in this grave.

This is a reminder of what our parents, our grandparents and our family members have sacrificed during World War II and why we are so thankful to be able to celebrate our freedom with the Netherlands.

Like so many men in his age group, he deserves to be remembered as a member of the greatest generation.

- Together with County Commissioner Tom Bloom and the residents of the Osage area, we initiated the idea to rename this bridge on Route 19 crossing Scots Run, the Private First Class James Elwood Wickline Memorial Bridge.

A bridge that won't let us forget the sacrifice, a bridge of ageless friends and gratitude between the Netherlands and West Virginia.

I come from the Netherlands, a country that knows freedom and democracy.

It was liberated from Germany by the Allies during the Second World War.

I'm very thankful for what the Americans did at that time and I'm very thankful for what James did.

One man can make a difference, no matter how small or big the contribution might be.

One man just here from Osage, West Virginia.

Thank you.

(crowd applauding) - Signed by the governor unanimously to honor Mr Wickline for what'd he done.

More importantly, for you bringing it to light to us.

We certainly appreciate it.

- Well, thank you so much.

This is great.

(crowd applauding) Wow, thank you.

(people chattering) - [Man] Thank you for what you're doing with our brother.

- Yeah.

It's something I had to do.

(trumpet blaring) (gentle music) ♪ I know it's cruel ♪ ♪ And I know that you played a part ♪ ♪ Don't be a fool now ♪ ♪ And give away your last cause ♪ ♪ I see you sitting there ♪ ♪ Sweat it out ♪ ♪ Your last move ♪ ♪ Nothing you can do ♪ ♪ And clock strikes ♪ ♪ Just about time ♪ ♪ For you to take a walk ♪ ♪ Out of that lonely door ♪ ♪ One thing you don't ever wanna lose ♪ ♪ Is the one thing I always loved you for ♪ ♪ And I know it's cold ♪ ♪ Wide outside and you alone ♪ ♪ Empty pockets ♪ ♪ Broken noses never save a man's soul ♪ (gentle music) ♪ It was a solemn groove that crossed our paths ♪ ♪ Play those mystic shapes once again ♪ ♪ Looking for escape ♪ ♪ And I hope this never ends ♪ ♪ We shared our songs for strength ♪ ♪ Well, I play because it's all I know ♪ ♪ And so I sing a tune now for the joy and sorrow ♪ ♪ I still shed a tear for your loss ♪ ♪ The closest I have come to fearing God ♪ ♪ Oh, brother we lost a son and a lover ♪ ♪ In a fight against the dark ♪ ♪ In a fight against the light ♪ ♪ Never know your thoughts ♪ ♪ And too afraid to ask ♪ ♪ So I keep on keeping on ♪ ♪ This well-trodden path ♪ ♪ And I won't see ♪ ♪ Cause every empty seat ♪ ♪ And every song we sing ♪ ♪ Has you singing back at me ♪ ♪ Well, I tried for so long ♪ ♪ To write it down ♪ ♪ A lyric or some words ♪ ♪ That could do justice to a man ♪ ♪ This one's for the hearts ♪ ♪ That still burn ♪ ♪ And the living that was shared and carries on ♪ ♪ Cause all the love you left behind ♪ ♪ Couldn't hold you ♪ ♪ And it scares me to crying ♪ ♪ But the love you gave ♪ ♪ Still fuels the fires ♪ ♪ And I'll never stop singing for you ♪