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Cinderville, Ohio (30 min fr. Columbus)

For Cornelius Ryan
Book about D-Day

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE
INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE
6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name?
Charles Debolt Reed

What was your unit and division?
116 Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division (Chaplain)

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time?
Omoha Beach, "Dog Red” section. I was in the second wave arriving
at H-Hour plus 30 minutes. I witnessed the landing of the first
wave.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944
Captain, Chaplains' Corps

What was your age on June 6, 1944?
I was thirty-two years of age.

Were you married at that time?
Yes.
What is your wife!s name?
Adaleen Witt Reed
Did you have any children at that time?
None.

What do you do now?
I am the minister of The First Methodist Church in Troy, Ohio
with a membership: of approximately 1200 members.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion?
At least two months before the invasion. I trained with the
116 Infantry Regiment in England for 18 months prior to the
invasion.

What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember,
for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time?
Because of the bad weather conditions the Invasion was postponed
24 hours. All the men and officers were very serious minded and
several of them came to me for consultation and prayer.

What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made
the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the
Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when
the troops came in).
There was some talk that the invasion might be postponed for
another 24 hours, but at midnight we knew it was on. Early in
the morning of D-day the planes were softening up the beach
and beyond the beach for our landing. We could see the flashes
as the bombs dropped on their targets.