The Filthy Thirteen – From the Dustbowl to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
I read “The Filthy Thirteen – From the Dustbowl to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest: The 101st Airborne’s Most Legendary Squad of Combat Paratroopers” by Richard Killblane and Jake McNiece as research for a project I’m working on, and am glad I did, because I really enjoyed the story. And a story it is, the story of Jake McNeice and his adventures during WWII as he and his fellow paratroopers earned the name “The Filthy Thirteen.” On the cover of the book, it also states, “The True Story of ‘The Dirty Dozen'” and if you get the two disk special edition DVD of the famous movie starring Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and others, you can see a special featurette on McNiece and the Filthy Thirteen that includes interviews with McNiece and Killblane as well as others. However, the movie and the exploits in this book have nothing similar except both involve WWII and brave men defeating the enemy in the fight against the Germans.
“The Filthy Thirteen” is a researched book, and it contains many notes and a long bibliography, which includes many interviews of me who were actually there. However, the main source was Jake McNiece himself, and that is why he is also considered an author of the book, and the story is actually told in his voice, making the story his. And it is told in story fashion, as if you were sitting with McNiece, having a drink, and listening to old war stories. This makes it a very interesting and enjoyable read, especially for anyone interested in military history. Surviving veterans from the second world war are dwindling each and every year, so it is good that as many of their stories are told as can be while they are still here to tell their tales. I’m glad that Killblane got McNiece’s story, and that of the men who served with him, recorded.
It’s a simple tale about a man who liked to fight. McNiece joined the military to fight, and he wasn’t keen on taking orders, polishing boots, and keeping up appearances. Because of this attitude, and a fondness for drink and trouble, he spent a lot of time being disciplined, but when it really counted, he proved his mettle by doing what he did best, fighting the war. He had four combat jumps during WWII, which not that many paratroopers can claim. He surrounded himself with men that also excelled at fighting, and they happened to earn the name Filthy Thirteen, which referred to the demolition section of the Regimental Headquarters Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry. Nearly thirty men passed through the ranks of this outfit, so there were actually more than thirteen “Filthy 13.”
If you want to read an interesting and entertaining account of this group of men and the important battles they were part of, read this book. Like any story telling around a few drinks, the stories are brash, embellished a bit, and not perfect in telling, but enjoyable. McNiece was lucky at times, and he probably knows it. And there were many men who did what he did, but didn’t have a memorable name attached to them. So when reading his story, remember all those who served.
