Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 007, folder 18: Woodrow J. Welsch

Co. A 116th Inf.

Dog Green 0630-0730

So-So

Dead

WELSCH, Woodrow J. 29th DIV Pa 61

Box 7, #18

Pittsburgh, PA.

2 Interview

Survivor of Co. A 116th Inf. (Bedford outfit)

PITTSBURGH

PA 61

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? WOODROW J. WELSCH

What was your unit and division? CO.A.116 INF. -29 DIV.

Where did you arrive in Normandy , and at what time? OMAHA BEACH sector called Dog Green The time I don't remember to the minute but it was some time between 0630 and 0730

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? T-5

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 29

Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name?

Did you have any children at that time?

What do you do now? Still digging holes in the ground. I ran a hi. lift dig foundations for new homes in a plan called [?Hi Tor.?] Woods Which is in the outskirts of Pgh. They classify me as an Opperatering Enginear

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? At least a few months But we did not know we were going to be the first wave until about two weeks before D-Day.

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 water was really Rough. We had made a lot of dry runs in the Channel but I think this was the worst. Some the boys wrote letters other played cards read books and a few talked about home wondering if the folks back there knew what we were about to do. There wer also a few that thought this was another Dry Run. In fact I did a little bit myself until I saw a boat section get a direct hit.

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 were many too numerous to mention If you would pay an attention to them all they would drive you crazy

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Woodrow Welsch

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes many of them

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they beoame casualties? Yes several of them were from my home Town of Pgh. We made a bargin that if anything happen to anyone of us the other would stop and see the others family after the War was over which I did for several.

Were you wounded? yes- but not on D-Day I was wounded in the assault on St-Lo July 18 1944

Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you so surprised that you felt nothing? you felt no pain the first day for I think you are yoo excited to fell anything

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? Don't care to comment on thsi question

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Yes I recall something sad as I lay on the cliffs and watched our Medics trying to get some of our wounded on the L.C.V.P's the Germans would machine gun thems They didn't have a chance for that Big Red Cross they wore ment nothing to the enemy.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Woodrow Welsch

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? Yes I see men do both for fear is man's greatest Enemy. You heard stories about men throwing there guns and equipment that day which some of it is true but the well trained solider held on to his essential equipment and did the things he was trained to do automatically. if our on long. That is the day I found out why? they trained us so hard to run 300 yards on a sandy beach in England for that was about the distance between the water's edge and the Cliffs on Omaha Beach

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Somewhere on the English Channel on L.S.T. 792 of the US NAVY Diamond fleet I was the companies jeep driver

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944?In a fox hole just outside of Vierville cold, wet tired and scared

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? Yes I knew many who landed that day But where they are now or there address I dont know for sure M.Sgt. Ralf. Goode- Delmar Delaware (Big [?Z?]) Supply Sgt. Jack Mitchel-Bedford. Va. S.Sgt. Roy O. Stevens Bedford Va Geo. Crouch Bedford Va There is also dozens of others from Bedford Va for that is the home Town of Co.A.11 Inf. The French Govt. put a monument made of the stone found on Omaha Beach in front of the Bedford Court House ten years after 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. FULL 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

P.S. I would be glad to talk to Mr. Ryan in Agust Phone [?nu?] at V.F.W. Past 1940 Broughton PA OL.5-9918 or 918 Lebanon Ave Pgh 34 Pa

CUSIG - ROONEY - BRETSCHINDER POST 1940 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES

MEETS EVERY SECOND THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH AT VETERANS’ CLUB

970 HOUGH DRIVE PITTSBURGH 36, PA. OLYMPIA 5- 9918

Commander - VINCENT E. KOZEL, JR. Quartermaster - ROBERT WELSCH Adjutant - PAUL P. GUZA

June 24, 1958

Miss Frances Ward 230 Park Ave. New York, New York

Dear Miss Ward:

We would like to call your attention to a member of Post 1940, who participated in the D-Day landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944. His name and information concerning his activities on that day are as follows:

Corporal Woodrow Welsch, 13058328, served in Company A, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division. He landed on H-hour, June 6, 1944 in Boat Section No.7. The Company Commander at the time, Taylor W. Fellers, was lost on the beach. The part of the beach where they landed was called Easy Red. The company was overstrength---ex- pecting heavy casualties, which it did. Out of the 226, who started out on the morning of that day, 42 were only left at nightfall. All of the officers and most of the non-commissioned officers were lost in the initial engagement.

If you are interested in the present address of Corp. Welsch, it is liste below.

Mr. Woodrow Welsch 918 Lebanon Ave. Pittsburgh 34, Penna.

*Very important this is part of the Bedford story. I've written him.

We hope that Mr. Welsch can help you in your endeavors and if for any reason you may need our assistance in this matter, please feel free to write or call.

Yours sincerely, Paul P. Guza Adjutant Vincent E. Kozel Jr. Commander

*Thank you to them"Dear Messrs, Guza and Kozel,

"Where Good Fellows Meet"