Combat -MGM Studios

A Story from my first book that was my draw to grow up all things -MGM. This story is my first ever trespass into a village ravaged by war. I’m discovering the sets from my favorite Television Series, starring Vic Morrow.Do you dare to follow me inside this magical…Hole in the Fence?

“Checkmate King 2-This is White Rook – Over?”

My childhood home is nestled just beyond this village tormented repeatedly in MGM War Television

We begin this day following a previous afternoon exploring the MGM Backlot 2, through a hole in the fence so far undiscovered by MGM Security…Jimmy, my best friend, lives just a few houses up from me. As time goes on, he will be my primary sidekick on these expeditions. We barely slept last night and could not wait to get up and see if the hole in the fence still exists. Or, was this all just a dream

We leave much earlier today, since Sunday has no cartoons, and plan to spend the entire day inside the backlot. Of course, it depends if there is still a tree crashed through a fence. Bingo! It’s just how we left it, our bridge to the new world is still undiscovered or fixed in any way. 

We start this morning by climbing in over the tree and quickly hide to observe what is taking place here today. The lot is silent and empty as far as the eye can see. No activity. It’s like we own the place. We see a bombed-out village we know is from Combat, blown up trucks lie in the outskirts, off to the side of a cobblestone road. A church sits atop the hill in the little French looking village.

We decide today this village gets conquered!

Like soldiers, we run across an open field and immediately duck for cover under an arch that greets visitors at this village entrance. As we catch our breath, we look and stare at the brutally ravished buildings staring back at us. So many stories are etched in these village fronts, yet it’s as if White Rook retreated just yesterday. Victorious, of course.

The black square on the arch is a sign directing you to the Autobahn The pink building forefront has damage from being hit by a Panzer tank shell. Spent shells litter all these doors and windows interiors.This view is from church. Here is that sign in Garrison’s Gorillas in this decade long backlot war zone.

Above us, a sign says: Autobahn 2.5 km. We have arrived at the place where battles have been fought on these cobblestone streets for years. Battles heard, but barely seen, except on ABC TV.

It’s silent, windy and desolate. Bullet holes are everywhere.  A million thoughts race through our minds as we slowly and quietly turn from side to side. The only thing stirring is the wind. Craters from explosions still exist from the day they were made, each with its own story. Our minds are flashing back to all the Combat episodes we recognize from this village; it’s a moment we have waited years for!

Tanks thunder up these streets, crushing anything in their site. Machine guns blazing from every window. Bombs detonating, buildings being blown apart, smoke and dust everywhere, my mind is racing back in time.

“Take Cover -here comes trouble…”

I see Sergeant Saunders with his Tommy Gun blasting away, Kirby had the next best gun, the B.A.R, I imagine all of them here in this village. A blown-up truck lies behind these buildings as if no place is safe. Inside a doorway, we find spent ammo shells, like the retreat was just yesterday.

We climb up and down every stairway, in and out every window, each time stopping to enjoy each memory with Jimmy. We continue to explore this entire tiny village inside and out, upside and down.

September 25, 1940- Just as WW 2 is about to begin.

January-1948-The Three Musketeers, starring Gene Kelly filming on Copperfield Street. Television was not a thing yet…we continue-

This is more than we can imagine, if we are dreaming- the dream includes helmets.

This place looks like filming just took place and we find two prizes fit for kings…helmets!

The groan of a motor is heard in the distance, we duck inside for cover as we catch a white roof speed past us on the dirt road circling the perimeter of the cobblestones. We are not alone so we climb to the top of a French pastry shop to hopefully get a better glimpse of this intruder.

We stand on a platform, like Generals, with our helmets atop our heads. This allows us to see into the distance and realize we can see our Hole in the Fence, where a red and white Ford Bronco is now parked. A black suited guard with a hat on, is investigating the situation with the fence. Our helmets make us feel as if we are trained in this sort of thing. Now all we need is binoculars…

Security has arrived and it appears this guy is not leaving, we wait, but so does he. We realize we may not be exiting through that hole again today, but the good news is the guard is stuck there. This Hole in the Fence may be closed forever, we surmise.

We just want to escape with our memories and our “Spoils of War”; the helmets, and the few shells I have stuffed into my pockets. That’s more than we could ever want. We decide to go another direction to leave, so we run down a little hill like our lives depend on it!

We end up at a massive rail depot and hide in the back of the closest train. Trains of every kind are configured in a hodgepodge presentation from several different eras. We have seen this station from the outside the fence for years, but now, here we are inside the television so to speak.

Box cars, Pullman passenger cars, nomadic trains, it’s like Travel Town. Tracks extend to three different stations, each just out of view from one another. Rails through time. We move slow through each car, just our helmeted heads popping up and down looking for danger with every step. All of a sudden, we’ve been seen. Two other older trespassers are sitting in the weathered and dusty plush seats inside an old Pullman passenger car.

Well, we all get over the shock of being discovered and commence a conversation. We are told by these experienced trespassers the ins and outs and what to be concerned with. We hang on to their every word, these guys are pros. They must be impressed with us too, since we have on our “Steel Pots”, like we just stepped out of Combat.

We are told by these backlot guru’s, the elements of danger to look out for. First and foremost, beware of the Red Bronco. It’s like that truck in “Duel”, it’s faceless, just a roar of an engine hot on your tail, and some guards carry salt rock guns…

I knew we needed these helmets…Plus, I have a pocket full of ammo!

We mention we just saw that evil jeep speed by and it’s parked over by the fallen tree. Politely I ask, “where do you guys get in?”

That track right there, (he points) leads to a gate that can be climbed with a bit of difficulty, but it gets easier the more you practice climbing it. These guys were meant to be and I’m like the new kid on the team who needs to be coached up.

We bid them a fond farewell, and hit the tracks where these rails enter the backlot.

Exiting this fence is easy, but next time, we have a sharp barb wired fence to figure out. It’s built to keep people out, not in.

We proudly walk home with helmets on, snubbing out our neighborhood friends’ questions, Where did you get those cool helmets?

“MGM”… is all we need to say.

This won’t be the last time this question is asked…stay tuned!

Written and lived by Donnie Norden