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Roanoke, Indiana
For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day IND 9 Medics O
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? John D Willett Jr What was your unit and division? medical detachment 115 Inf 1st Battalion 29th Division
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? I landed on Omaha beach at 10:00 oclock on D-day morning
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Private first class
What was your age on June 6, 1944? 21 Were you married at that time? No What is your wife *s name? Doris O Willett
Did you have any children at that time? What do you do now? Work for General Electric at the Fort Wayne works
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? we knew we were going to be in some invasion about 6 mos from the training were getting we done all of our training in England In May we moved for sure
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 trip was something you would never forget all you could see any place you looked was ships The weather was a little rough a few get sick I dont think anybody worried to much about what was coming up
What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlbbut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in ).
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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name John Willett
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? being a company Aidman with --B company I had quite a few friends who were lost
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? I remember one man by the name of Marven Boland who was hit onthe beach just enough to need some medical attention but not enough to be shiped back he was the first battel casualtie I took care of -- later while going into St 10 I was hit an flew back to England to the hospital where later Beard came in this time in bad shape where I helped take care of him again where he died a few days later Were you wounded? yes twice not on D Day
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 ? Do you remember seeing- or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? yes one of the other company aid men was running on the beach when he stumbled and fell and when he looked around he had fallen over a German land mine and kicked it clean out of the ground but never went off the mans name was Virgil Winfrey
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? I think I will always remember the first Frenchmen I saw which was about noon on June 6 who was standing behind a hedgrow with a pitcher of cider giving to the boys it sure was a hot spot butit did not bother him any he was so glad to see us
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- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name John Willett
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?
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? some place on the English channel Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? I think we werejust south of St Laurent
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? Earnest Pfeiffer } USS Texas 1024 Paulding Rd. Ft Wayne, Indiana I dont know if this address is right Shuwain Hoskins Virgil Winfrey Robert Lee, Texas Cypress, Arkansas
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 AC KNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED MWHERE 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 Digeet
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June 2, 1958
Miss Frances Ward, I was just reading in the Legion Magazine you would like to contact Vets who served in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. I was with the Medical Detachment 1st Bn 115 Inf 29 Div. I was a Company Aidman with B company when they hit the beach June 6.
If I can be of any help I would be pleased to do so. [Illegible] John Willett
John Willett 427 N. Main St. #2 Roanoke Indiana