The 71st anniversary of the World War II D-Day Invasion is Saturday and WTXL is taking a look at the invasion and documenting stories of Americans who were there in D-DAY: The Great Crusade. This is part five of the series focusing on letters from those who served on that faithful day.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - The letters from those who served on D-Day show more than just war and fear, they show hope of ending the war and a sense of a greater purpose.
Below are excerpts of letters from several of those service members.
Sgt. Roy Arnn - "The force of the explosion blew my helmet off and cut the corner of my left eye. I soon lost sight in my eye because blood was running into it. I turned to look back of me and tried to yell to Corporal Lee to get a medic. He looked at me with astonishment and started screaming for the medic as though he were hit. Max Norris was the medic and as he tried to get the rifle from my shoulder; it hurt something awful. I found out later that the scapula and clavicle were broken besides the deep wounds in my shoulder and leg."
Leonard Tomaszewski - "We went over a high beach and then we had to come down to get on the land and oh, boy, I tell you, Bob, I didn't know how I ever got through it but all those guys lying dead around me. They said there were 6000 guys right there before they even made the landing."
Joseph Dragotto - "It was hellish. Bombs were bursting at tree top level. Raining deadly fragments and splinters, wood, and metal down on us. After our first engagement, we fought... we thought we were receiving a rest, but they were short lived."
Clarence Hughart - "I remember looking up at our lieutenant just as we passed over the coast of Normandy - he was white as a ghost. This was going to be my 13th jump. I had 12 practice jumps and Normandy would be number 13. I was not superstitious but in the back of my mind I wondered if #13 would be unlucky."
Herb Epstein - "There appeared to be over a thousand dead bodies on the beach… That day was my first face-to-face encounter with combat and death."
Roy Creek - "As I sat pondering the day's events… I reflected upon the details of the fighting and the bravery of every man participating in it. Some had lost their lives, some others had been seriously wounded…We had done some things badly, but overall with a hodgepodge of troops from several units who had never trained together as a unit, didn't even know one another, and were engaged in their first combat, we had done okay. We captured our bridge and held it. We knew we faced D-day… with confidence and anticipation."
The premier of the 3-D Film "D-DAY: Normandy 1944" is Friday. For showtimes visit the Challenger Learning Center.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE "D-DAY: The Great Crusade"
D-Day: The Great Crusade, Part 1 - Not a Day Too Late
The invasion had been planned since the beginning of the United States entering the war, according to Kurt Piehler, the Director of the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience.
D-Day: The Great Crusade, Part 2 - Preparing for D-Day
It's no surprise troops trained long and hard for the invasion. What many may not know is, hundreds of thousands trained here on the Gulf Coast at Camp Gordon Johnston in Carrabelle.
D-Day: The Great Crusade, Part 3 - Stories from Local Veterans
The military's mission in World War II was to destroy the Axis Powers. One way to do that was by creating a second front in Europe on D-Day.
D-Day: The Great Crusade, Part 4 - Behind the Scenes Look at the Making of the Film
"D-Day: Normandy 1944" is a documentary to honor all who serve. The film's director, Pascal Vuong, says he always had a strong interest in World War II and D-Day ever since he saw the movie "The Longest Day" as a young child. Years later, he decided to create the very first large screen documentary devoted to D-Day.
D-Day: The Great Crusade, Part 5 - Letters from Those Who Were There
The letters from those who served on D-Day show more than just war and fear, they show hope of ending the war and a sense of a greater purpose.
