Local World War II veteran Eugene (Gene) Metcalfe, accompanied by his wife, daughter and granddaughter, witnessed military parachutists float to a small farmer’s field during a re-enactment of a daring mission in which Metcalfe participated 75 years ago in the Netherlands.

Metcalfe, who will turn 97 in December, was 22 years old at the time. He was wounded by enemy artillery during a firefight with a German tank division. Left for dead, he was taken as a prisoner of war.

The British 1st Airborne Division led the airborne assault that was part of British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s ill-fated plan for Operation Market Garden. Paratroopers from the U.S. Army’s 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and Poland’s 1st Independent Parachute Brigade also were dropped.

The Netherlands’ highest military award, the Orange Lanyard of the Military Order of William, was presented to Metcalfe, assigned to the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and a comrade, Robert C. Blankenship.

Blankenship’s son, Richard, accepted the award for his father, who died of a heart attack in 1970.

“I was called the Liberator everywhere I went,” said Metcalfe in an interview after his return home. “I’ve been called a lot of things but can you imagine, Liberator?”

He and his wife, Paulette, were guests of the Netherlands government. His daughter, Tracy, and her daughter, Paige, accompanied them.

The friendliness of people most impressed Metcalf and their desire to express their gratitude for events that happened years ago.

“It was beyond anything I could have imagined. Seventy-five years ago, they don’t even know you’re alive and now everyone wants to get to know you and show their appreciation,” he said. “The Dutch people are just so grateful. It was just like coming home. The people are so proud of their heritage.”

A crowd of 100,000 attended one ceremony, said Metcalfe. He presented copies of his biography, “Left for Dead at Nijmegen,” written by Marcus Nannini, to the former Dutch queen, Princess Beatrix, and other dignitaries.

He chatted with Britain’s Prince Charles, who wore camouflage fatigues and the parachute regiment’s maroon beret.

“We had a nice little talk. He asked me how things were in the States.”

Metcalfe presented him a book.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he attended to pay tribute to the World War II heroes. He said that Operation Market Garden showed “the importance of forces from different countries being able to operate together and that is exactly what NATO is about.”

“This blew my mind,” said Metcalfe, referring to his reception. “People would come out of nowhere and asked ‘can we have a picture with you? I told the little ones that you should be very proud of your heritage.”

Metcalfe and his wife had returned to the area in 1961. He wanted her to see where he had spent a major part of his war life.

Metcalfe was imprisoned at Stalag VII-A where he was forced into slave labor until May 1945.