Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 007, folder 27: Fred Gordon

GORDON, SP 3 Fred D GER 5 [crossed out] N. Y. [end crossed out]

Box 7, #27 APD189 Germ

Germany GER5 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? SP.3 FRED GORDON What was your unit and division? HQ BATTERY 90th INF DIV, Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? OMMAN BEACH 0530. June 6t 44 OHMA (does he mean the 7th?) What was your rank on June 6, 1944? SFC. What was your age on June 6, 1944? 34. Were you married at that time? YES. What is your wife's name? MRS ADAH GORDON. Did you have any children at that time? NO. What do you do now?I am in the 447th Sig Bn When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? When we got to Biringham England 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? We spent our time checking our wepons and wondering if it would be rough and how many of would make it. We Knew that the beach was heavely manned And the LST. Could only go so far. We was in water waist Deep 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) Wee heard all kinds of tales about them super men come to find out they were no bigger than any of us. The Only ones that we were scared of the SS Troup. We Seen what they did to the men that jumped and the ones that came in the gliders.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name SP. 3. FRED GORDON. Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No I did Not Keep A diary and am glad that I did not. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day ? We had about 70 percent that were killed or that drowned comming ashore Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? All that I rember was that I was trying to keep the men spread out they wanted to bunch up. There was not much we could do out there in the warter with a full field pack on. Were you wounded? Yes. 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? All I Wondered was how out of all them meen there in the warter how they singled me out. to be the frist man in the out fit to get hit. there was no pain at the time I was just trying to get behind a wall that was there Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? I had A PFC in my squad and he would not stay down when he started to crawl he would stick up behind. he got shot just beloe the canten and he would not let them send him baok to the hospital where there was any nurses on account of where he got shot. Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? They were all good men one was no better than the other

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name SP. 3 FRED GORDON 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? We could not keep one man from running under a tree when the motor rounds started to come in. The had lots of apple trees all thru france thi on man Pvt Krisel kept running under the trees one round hit in the tpo of the tree and there was no hope for him in I Will Be my prsent outfit untill 1961 at which time I will Finish my 22 years service. Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944?We were out in the middle of the English Channel Just waiting to move out I Rember one thing it was an English ship and they the english sailors were selling the G.I. coffee and tea for 50. cents a cup we moved inland to a little town called s ST Marie Gelice 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? No When I left the out fit we had very near a complet change over

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.

fTHANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

April 24-1958 Dear Miss Ward

I read in the Army Times that they wanted to talk to the men that was in the D day invasion of France. Well I was Hq Bat 90th Div we landed early the next morning. The 101st Air Borne jumped shortly after mid nite. I stayed with the Div till we got to Saint Lo My outfit was commanded by Capt Sullivan I was at Camp Barkeley Texas when the Div was activated I was with the 447 Sig Bn A Company 447 Sig Bn Apo #189 Sp-3 Fred Gordon RA 6243152