THE AIRBORNE: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING

Bill Lusk never intended his Mullens, WV, banker father to keep him from the draft, even as draft board head.  

To the contrary, Lusk was a rising junior in the accelerated ROTC program at Virginia Tech.  In April, 1943, it was his dad who gave him the not-unexpected news, “You’re going in.”

Bill Lusk, World War II Paratrooper/Glider Soldier

At Camp Mackall, NC, (just south of Southern Pines) Lusk joined the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division.  The division moved to Tennessee for maneuvers and war games.

“The weather was terribly cold, lots of rain, sleet and snow,” Lusk recalls.  “One of our assault boats flooded while crossing a rain-swollen river, twelve men drowned.  We were told to keep moving, that’s the way it is in war!”

Early in 1944, the call went out for paratrooper volunteers. Lusk volunteered.  “I liked the self-sufficient, fight-to-survive paratrooper training, plus the $50 pay raise,” exclaimed Lusk.

August, 1944, was a whirlwind for Lusk and the 17th Airborne Division.  Troop-trained to Boston, they sailed for England. “We did glider exercises and maneuvers in England.  I believe the British had a fighter plane hid under every haystack,” reflects Lusk.

December 23, 1944, the entire 17th Airborne Division was air-lifted into France overnight.  “I landed at 2 a.m.  We rode trucks for a while, and walked the rest of Christmas Eve, the snow was 24-30 inches deep.”

Battle of  the Bulge

“During the Battle of the Bulge, we fought near Bastogne for control of Dead Man’s Ridge.”

“I was wounded by an 88mm artillery shell.  It landed right at my feet!  Two of my men were killed and many others were wounded.”  Lusk hallucinated in and out of consciousness, reasoning, “I’m not going to get out of here alive.”

“Resting my head in my helmet, I injected myself with morphine and prayed, Lord, I’m ready to come home!  I was sure that when I woke up, I would be in heaven!”

Providentially, two medics discovered Lusk was still alive as they came by verifying casualties.  “Those brave medics took me by stretcher to a field hospital, where surgeons removed multiple shrapnel fragments.”

Lusk’s surgery was done without anesthetics since all supplies of pain killers had been exhausted.  “They teased me that no rawhide was available, but gave me a piece of rubber to place between my teeth,” per Lusk.

Lusk was moved to France for further treatment and recuperation.  “On March 22, 1945, a jeep came to the hospital with orders for me.”  Taken to the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment, Lusk learned his 193rd Regiment has been so decimated at Dead Man’s Ridge, that survivors had been merged into the 194th.  

First, he learned, “We’re short a platoon sergeant, and you’re it!”   That placed Lusk in charge of three squads, each with twelve airborne infantrymen.

Secondly, Lusk learned they were just hours away from being dropped across the Rhine River into Germany, behind enemy lines.  

World War II Glider

On March 24, 1945, Lusk’s platoon boarded gliders, twelve men per glider.  They weren’t alone – over 900 USAF gliders were loading -- from multiple airfields.  Two gliders ferrying Lusk’s squad landed safely, but the third overshot the landing zone.  All twelve men and the glider pilot were killed by enemy fire.

By 2 p.m. Allied forces were in control, but running out of ammunition.  “Pilots risked their lives to fly low and drop us ammo.  Two planes were shot down and all crewmembers perished.”

Lusk’s platoon was later pinned down by enemy snipers operating from three large stone buildings.  “A British tank crew caught up with us.  I asked them to take the buildings out.  They did, and we moved on!”     

This was the final airborne operation of WW II, the first where glider troops and paratroopers dropped together, and the first where C-47s towed two gliders each.

Lusk came home on furlough after joining the 517th Paratrooper Infantry Regiment for the invasion of Japan.  The atomic bomb altered those plans.  Lusk earned a bronze star, purple heart, combat infantryman’s badge, parachutist badge, three campaign battle stars, invasion arrowhead, glider badge, M-1 expert’s badge and more.  

Lusk married Betty Williams, his childhood sweetheart on September 6, 1945.  After obtaining a B.S. degree in business administration with honors from Virginia Tech in 1947, he worked with Burlington Industries for forty years, retiring as Assistant Corporate Controller.

Bill and Betty Lusk are long-time members of First Baptist Church -- Greensboro, where both have had leadership roles.  They have three grown children and seven grands.  

Accepting thanks for his service, Lusk is appreciative but assertive, “Only by the grace of God am I here!”