Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEHPx0hBqxE

The Dirty Thirteen - World War II - James "Jake" McNiece
Sunday, November 11, 2012 - KAKE-TV The number of World War II veterans is quickly dwindling. On this Veterans Day, we bring you the story of one of those heroes whose war service is the stuff of legends. Books and movies are not nearly enough to tell the stories of James "Jake" McNiece, the leader of the airborne squad known as the Filthy Thirteen. Now 93 years old, McNiece, and his wife Martha live in his hometown of Ponca City, Oklahoma. "Veterans Day means a lot to most of us boys that are left, which isn #39;t very many," he said. McNiece was among 20 paratroppers of the famed 101st Airborne who jumped behind enemy lines on D-Day near Normandy on June 6, 1944. It was a desperate suicide mission to wreak havoc and blow up bridges to keep the Germans from resupplying their troops on the beaches. "In three hours I was down to three men," McNiece said. "We got our two bridges blown and placed explosives on the third bridge." His squadron became known as the Filthy Thirteen. McNiece says that title came from the filthy conditions they lived in while training in England. "They were the finest soldiers," he said. The squadron was known for mohawk haircuts and putting on war paint before battle. McNiece was personally known for his off-the-battlefield antics, including overstaying his leaves of absence. McNiece laughs about it now, but acknowledges he got busted in rank numerous times, back to buck private, when he should have been climbing in rank. "They were troublemakers... I ...From:MediaPilot360Views:1 0ratingsTime:05:39More inEducation

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