D
estined to be a plumber because his
grandfather and father had been,
Philadelphia native Norman Waldman
was thrown a curve ball when drafted in 1943
at the age of 18. He went to Georgia for basic
training as a machine gunner, and signed
up for the airborne division mainly because
it was double pay. After making it through
the rigorous training, he was assigned to
the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and
trained in Alliance, Nebraska.
Norman and his wife, Marie, have been
married 67 years.
The new regiment was sent to the resort
town of Port Rush, Ireland, where they
bunked in the homes of generous villagers for
six months. Their next stop was Nottingham,
England, where they stayed in tents in the
Robin Hood-famed Sherwood Forest. He
admits his first nine months of the service
were pretty easy, but in the spring of 1944, the
Allies were getting ready for the invasion of
France and the whole regiment could feel that
something big was about to happen.
And, it certainly did. On the night they
received their orders, his full regiment was
told to get in full gear and ammo and they
boarded a plane to Normandy. In the early
dawn of June 6, 1944, Norman Waldman
took his first and only official combat jump.
With the clouds and smoke from anti-aircraft
fire, his plane missed its drop target and
the unit was scattered throughout the area.
Waldman was able to see that other soldiers
who jumped before him were heading into
fiery explosions below, so he gave a little tug
to his straps and directed himself toward a
hedgerow. In his first and most important
streak of luck, Waldman hit a patch of
brambles, which, while prickly, were not
laden with mines.
Waldman was able to stay alive and defend
himself during intense direct combat for
the next few days and helped his unit and
comrades hold two bridges on the Douve
River before being captured on June 9, 1944.
About half the regiment didn’t make it, many
perishing in minutes, still more throughout
the next two days.
The killing of several German soldiers in
the battle stayed with him for a long time.
“They were the same as me,” he said, “young
and scared, and just trying to stay alive.”
During combat, he was hit by shrapnel
and taken to the German field hospital after
being captured. “I was never abused,” noted
Waldman. Maybe it was luck again, or just an
unknowingly wise decision to teach himself
German from a book while in training, as
Waldman was sent to Dresden and served
as a POW interpreter where he remained
through the bombing of Dresden in February
1945. “It was better than the work camps,”
he said. Later, his training and experience as
a plumber led him to work in a POW camp
building homes for German people who had
been displaced because of the war.
After 11 months and 2 weeks as a prisoner,
he and four other Americans were liberated
by the Ukrainians. He and his comrades
opted to fight with the Ukrainian Red Army
because they had guns and were allies of the
United States. He fought in the last battle
of the war in Prague and saw the horrible
devastation in Berlin. Shortly after, he crossed
the Elbe River to the American side carrying
his only possessions, which included a
Russian hat and an automatic pistol he still
has to this day.
Upon returning to the United States,
he finished his four-year military term in
Fort Benning and helped with the officer
candidates’ school. Suffering from PTSD,
which was an unknown condition at that
time, Waldman returned to plumbing but still
felt the patriotic urge to continue to serve his
country. He joined the Army Reserve Corps
and was put in charge of the tradespeople
in the engineering group. He later switched
to the Air Force where he became a Master
Sergeant in charge of the construction crew of
the air group.
Trying to acclimate to his new life, he was
invited to a local barbeque where he met his
wife, Marie, over a shared steak dinner and
they have been married now for 67 years.
Marie always encouraged him to pursue
more, so while working as a plumber, he went
to college at the University of Pennsylvania
and earned a bachelor’s degree. He spent
several years teaching at a vo-tech school in
Philadelphia and went to Temple University
to obtain his master’s degree.
Luck was on his side again when he
applied for a job as the Director of Trade
and Technical Education at Greene County
VoTech School, near Waynesburg, the day the
current one had left. He accepted the position
and moved there with his wife and daughter.
Waldman said he had “many adventures” in
Waynesburg and was very well-accepted by
the students and community because of his
military experience, which fit into the bluecollar environment. He served as the director
there for over 15 years before he and Marie
moved to Mt. Lebanon 10 years ago to be
closer to their daughter and her family.
He’s made many friends in the aspiring
senior complex of Asbury Heights and
even plays in a hillbilly band with his wife
and friends. Walking with a cane due to his
shrapnel injury, Waldman is in decent health
and even better spirits. “You can’t imagine
the life I’ve had. All of the luck, and the
fun, and the friends,” he said. “It’s been very
rewarding.”
Being in the military helped him in both
his professional and personal life. His most
valuable takeaways were cooperation and
a desire to give back. “I love people, loved
teaching, and understanding people’s
problems. With a respectful attitude, anyone
can get cooperation from a group,” says
Waldman.
It was more than luck that got him through
those tough times during and after the
war, however. “My faith helped me believe
that there’s a place for me in heaven. That
sustained me during the times when I
thought I might not make it.”
Among the medals Norman has received
are the French Legion of Honor (far left), the
Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
At the last reunion of his World War II
regiment 10 years ago, there were 31 people,
but now there are likely far fewer who have
made it to their 90s.
For his dedication and service to the
country, Norman Waldman received a Bronze
Star for heroic service, a Purple Heart, and
became a member of the French Legion of
Honor a few years ago when the ambassador
came to