ryan_box025-tld_f28_03

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -
Your name Douglas R. Vidler

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to
you that day?
No! Just a small calendar I checked the days
off. The thought of keeping a diary seemed rediculious as I would
never live to read it.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the
landing or during the day?
[inserted] not on D-day?[end inserted] Yes! Several but as we were the second wave we got
the worst [crossed out]more[end crossed out] of it on the second day.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before
they became casualties:
Not on the actually "D" Day but I do remember when
my best pal was killed in Holland some months after.
He was a guy who showed no fear until the day he was to
be killed. I feel sure he knew his number was up. One thing
we all used to argue about - was would you heard the shell that
got you in the end. I had a armour piercing shell land not six
away, had it been an H.E. I wouldn't
be here now.

Were you wounded? No!

Do you remember what it was like -- that is, do you remember
where you felt any pain or were so surprised that you
felt nothing?
From several fellows I spoke with after they
were hit. Many didn't know they were hit + felt no pain
only a warm spot. Especially a fellow I know who lost a leg, he didn't
know of his loss.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny
now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time?
I never forget how anxious the Navy was for us to unload
so they could get out of there in a hurry. The first "Jerries"
I saw where [?three?] who had be holding a machine gun position
for several hours. They where marching along with their long
gray coats on, with their hands over their head. They looked like
giants to me and I began to think maybe they are all this
big and are really "the Super Race".

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simple memorable, which struck you more than anything else?
I remember that the quiet fellow around the camp was the best
soldier, seemed to know he had to do as he was told and had the
courage, nerves + guts to stand up to alot more that the [crossed out]big[end crossed out] so
called big mouths of the camp. While we waited our turn
to land we just circled around out in the channel and every
time we came along broadside to a battleship they seemed to
always start firing their big 15" guns and the noise + concussion
was terrific.