The Way I Remember It

Now it is D-DAY NORMANDY France June 6, 1944.

The First Infantry Division, of which I am a part, was scheduled to land on Omaha Beach. The first wave was scheduled to land at 6:30 AM. Cannon Company 161h Infantry Regiment of the First Infantry Division of which I am a part was scheduled in the third wave, about an hour after the first wave. The English and the Canadian Armies were scheduled to land East of the First Division. The American 291h Infantry Division was scheduled to land West of the First Division. The American 41h Infantry Division was scheduled to land West of the 291h Division. The American Rangers were scheduled to land three miles west of the 41h Division.

Now this is what happened to me on D-Day June 6, 1944. I am one of the First Aid men with Cannon Company 161h Infantry Regiment of the First Infantry Division. We are on a large Navy landing ship. About 2:00 AM, June 6, 1944, we are told to get on board our two and a half ton Duck, which goes in the water as a boat, and on land as a truck. There must have been about twelve soldiers on each duck, plus the cannon and ammunition for the cannon. We are sitting in the Duck, when all of a sudden, there is a commotion. Somebody started loading cartons of food on each Duck. The cartons were standard size about 1 1/2 feet x 1 1/2 feet about 3 feet long. We ended up with about four cartons on our Duck. I don't know if the soldiers broke into the Navy storeroom, of if the sailors felt sorry for us, and just gave us the cartons of food. AII of a sudden, the Navy ship stopped, and cut off their motors and it became very quiet. When that happened, all of a sudden they dimmed all the lights in the hold of the ship where we were, and it became very dark and it was hard to see. Then all of a sudden the big landing ramp opened and was lowered into the water. I looked out when the ramp was lowered, it was pitch dark outside, and I couldn't see anything. And inside the Navy ships there was only a very dim light. At that moment, it was sort of an eerie feeling. Then orders were given for the Ducks to drive off the ramp and into the pitch-dark water. The plan was for the Ducks to go out a few hundred feet and keep circling around, until all the Ducks were in the water, then head for the beach.

The big Navy ship let us off ten miles out. The idea was to surprise the enemy. Less chance of the Ducks being seen than the big Navy ships. That part worked fine.

Now the first Duck got off the big Navy ship without a problem. Next was the second Duck, the one I was on.