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LTC James Megellas(left, picture taken at FOB Salerno 2006), USA (Ret) is the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Maggie (as his fellow troopers called him) was awarded more than 10 medals including The Distinguished Service Cross,
two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, Presidential Citation w/cluster, Belgium Fouragere, 6 Campaign Stars,
and Master Parachutist for his WWII service.
He was selected by General James Gavin, as the most outstanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division to receive the Netherlands,
“Military Order of Willhelm Orange Lanyard” from the Dutch Minister of War in Berlin in 1945, the first American decorated by the Government of Holland.
Among his most notable battles were in the Italian mountains near Venafro, the beach landing at Anzio, the jump into Holland (Operation Market Garden),
the famous crossing of the Waal River under heavy German machine gun fire in broad daylight (subject of the “A Bridge too Far” movie) and the Battle of the Bulge.
Maggie commanded H. Company 504 PIR in the occupation of Berlin and lead his Company, the only Company he served with during the entire war,
down 5th Ave. in New York in the Victory Parade in January 1946.
1942 Maggie received a BA Degree from Ripon College and an ROTC Commission as a 2nd Lt. in the Infantry.
1943-1946 Overseas—82nd Airborne Division
1946 Discharged U. S Army with rank of Captain.
1947-1970 Mission Director (USAID) Agency for International Development
1962-1964 Yemen
1964-1968 Panama
1968-1970 Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Megellas was the head of Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support CORDS) in II CTZ.
As deputy for II Corps civilian operations to the commanding general of 1st. Field Force, Vietnam (with an equivalent rank of major general).
Megellas commanded 4,000 soldiers and civilians from Vietnam and other nations, receiving from the South Vietnamese government for his service in CORDS
the National Chieu Hoi Medal, and the Psychological Warfare Medal.
1970-1972 Operations Appraisal Staff, Office of the Auditor General. AID/Washington
1971 Johns Hopkins University, the degree of Master of International Public Policy.
1972-1975 AID Affairs Officer, John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance, Ft. Bragg, N.C. (with an equivalent rank of major general).
1975-1979 Mission Director USAID/Colombia.
1979-1988 Florida Tech., Instructor of International Affairs.
On January 31 2007, 2006 Congressman Thomas Petri of Wisconsin introduced a bill (H.R. 795) in the United States House of Representatives to authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Megellas of Colleyville, Texas, for acts of valor on January 28, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The bill is presently in the Committee on Armed Services awaiting future action.
Jim’s book, “All the Way to Berlin”, released in 2003, provides a vivid and most riveting chronicle of his first hand heroic experiences. A decorated war hero, at 89 years young, recently returned from an invitation to visit with troops in Afghanistan on the Pakistani border in his old outfit, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Returning from Afghanistan Jim stopped in Holland and spoke at the inauguration of the 2nd edition of his book “All the Way to Berlin” in the Dutch language.
He continues to travel and lecture both in the US and abroad.
For more information on LTC James Megellas go to www.jamesmegellas.org
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