Page 6

April 22, 1958

Miss Frances Ward
Reader's Digest
230 Park Avenue
New York, New York

My dear Miss Ward:

RE: HISTORY OF "D" DAY, 6 JUNE 1944

My name is Bernard J. Morecock, Jr., former Chief of Section of Battery "A",
111th F.A. Bn., 116th Regimental Combat Team, 29th Division. I am now a
member of the Richmond Howitzers, which is the original Battery "A" of the
111th F. A.

By being a member of the above battery, I served in the initial landing on
Normandy Beach on "D" Day, 6 June, 1944. I have a diary, scrapbook and
pictures which may be of interest to you for your publication.

In one of the prominent Men's magazines sometime ago, there was a story
about Capt. Shufford on his review of the initial landing of the 111th
F. A. Bn. on Normandy Beach, which lost 11 of the 12 105 MM Howitzers.

Capt. Shufford's duck and my duck were tied together to conserve gas, as
we were not allowed ashore until Col. Thornton L Mullins, who was our Bn.
Commander, gave us the order to land. We, not knowing that Col. Mullins
was dead at the time, were within 100 yards of our landing point, which
was known as "Easy Green" of our sector. My duck was machine gunned and
shelled, killing 7 and wounding 3 men out of a total of 14 aboard, giving
no hopes but to try to retreat to our landing barges which were to our rear
out of firing range. Capt. Shufford and I gave word to pull back out of
range until the Navy could shell the pill boxes that were still active at
the time. Capt. Shufford's duck did start and back off, as mine was hit
with machine gun bullets and would not start. We set there taking all the
Germans could throw at us. The only thing that was left to do was to abandon
the duck and the 105 MM Howitzer, as the tide was coming in very
strong and pushing us towards the enemy.

I have further true information of the 111th F. A. landing "D"
Day and
through "VE" Day. If I can be of any assistance, please notify me.

Respectfully yours,
Bernard J. Morecock Jr.
Bernard J. Morecock, Jr.
Rt. 4, Box 373
Glen Allen, Virginia

P.S. Sorry I'm late in answering.

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