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PA 57 Altoona, PA BLACK
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? Raymond R Volponi
What was your unit and division? C.O.B. 11 [crossed out] In [end crossed out] Infantry 29th Division
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Omaha Beach Zero Hour was [crossed out] 6 AM [end crossed out] 0600
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Sargent
What was your age on June 6, 1944? 31 year old
Were you married at that time? Yes
What is your wife's name?
Did you have any children at that time? Yes. 1 daughter 10 years old at that time A Registered Nurse [crossed out] to-day [end crossed out] now.
What do you do now? I'm a patient at the V.A. Hospital at Altoona, Penna on leave, until the 5th of Aug.
A When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? About 2 weeks before D.Day. we didn't know the exact day or hour.- until June 4 1941
B 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? The crossing could only be described as a Fairy Tale. where choppy and angry waves tried to smack and swallow up such brave little boat as LCI'S LST Troop [illegible] L.C.A.]s for the entire trip its creaks and groans was evident and you wondered how much longer it would be able to take the abuse, I was on the LCI 411. Our company consists of about 21 [inserted] enlisted [end inserted] men and officers. Plus ship [?personnel?] fit like sardines in a can and no doubt smelled like them after days on board.
C 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 ). Rumors were numerous at marshalling area before briefing and knowning what would take place before we hit the beach, such rumors were just idle talk which I recall was never brought up for discussions for it was just as you stated Scuttlebut. Just plain rumors. The rumor may of had some effect on the people but to the men making the invasion I'd say no. we were more concerned on our objective assigned on landing. The water obstacles
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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name
D Did you by any chanoe keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No! All identification such as letters, pictures of places or any articles that would of any value to the enemy "conti
E Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes! The ones killed was a shock that still leave a mark that is hard to forget especially with what seem to be brewing [crossed out] to do [end crossed out] in far off lands. bring back memories of world war II. both sad and good. but will always [crossed out] Look back [end crossed out] Remember both.
F Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualites? The conversation was about the same as the ones we had in England during our stay there From Oct 12 1942 "Lousy weather". the conditions of our training for the beach assult were the same as we were experimenting for the landing in France. Truthfully, I'd say our training for the invasion [crossed out] t [end crossed out] was tougher than the actual landing on D-Day
G Were you wounded? Yes. July 12-1944. I stepped on a bobby trap.
H Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? I felt no pain for a while. I remembered all a long what happened. I was lucky the full blast didn't get me
I Do you remember seeing- or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time?
J Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Both Sad and Heroic:- Machine Gun and Automatic weapons squads that maned their guns to the end. the enemy broke through and sprayed their positions with flame throwers whole guns were still firing. Our Medics and Chaplins adminstrating aid to the wounded and dying seeing both Medics and Chaplins killed. the Medics shot while giving aid and Chaplin killed adminstrating last rites for dying.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name
K In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do, incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? It's a question according to the condition's. In either great ingenuity or self reliance depends on team work.
L Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? on the L.C.I. that we boards on May 31 Just bobbing along.
M Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? about a 1000 yrds [inserted] in land [end inserted] from the beach we landed at "Omaha"
N Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? I met a lot of boys from different outfits. Rangers, Soliders Para-troopers, [inserted] Infantry [end inserted] and airborne troops from our briefing prior to the invasion. we knew there missions and objectives to remember any names [inserted] no [end inserted] but in all the years gone by that I see their shoulder patches or emblems it bring back memories of the boys that wore then on D-Day and I know are proud of their outfits embelm who distingiushed them selves so highly on D. Day.
PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED "WHERE THEY ARE NOW; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.
Cornelius Ryan
Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest
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Refer to question A
We moved from our base came to marshalling area which was the lack of contact we had with anyone other that the one that would take part in the Invasion.
There we were briefed on our objectives. Company commander platoon Leaders Platoon Sgt and squad leaders were giving maps we recieved information as to the enemys strength there positions and our objective, type of terrain.
We boarded our L.C.I. May 31-1944. The afternoon of June 4- our orders came through for a landing the morning of June 5- the weather was bad the channel was rough. due to channel conditions it was delayed 24hrs to June 6. The element of surprise was still there if not, our losses would of been greater.
But the plastering the Navy, Air Force, Para-troopers and Rangers [crossed out] woul [end crossed out] would of dished out wouldn't of left much fighting for the infantry to do. from the beach to [?S.S. L?] our Losses were mostly from Snipers Land mines, Bobby traps and their artillery the above mentioned had the enemy pretty well on bended knees.
I often wonder about the men [many] I seen