Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 007, folder 28: Howard Kenneth Hanson

HANSON, Howard Kenneth N Dak 4 Box 7, #28

N.DAK 4 For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day Nothing / a simpletons eye view of war 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? Howard Kenneth Hanson 37169786 What was your unit and division? Service Co 358 th Inf 90th Div Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Utah beach I think we landed about 2 in the afternoon we watched the planes + ships bond board the coast all morning What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Private What was your age on June 6, 1944? 26 ^Were you married at that time? No What is your wife!s name? Artis J Hanson - married in 1947 Did you have any children at that time? no What do you do now? I am post master here at Argusville N.D. and I also farm 400 acres When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? It was the early part of May-1944 we started to waterproof our trucks so they would run in deep water 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 about 4 or 5 days long as I remember the water was not too ruff we were all sort of nervous and we had no idea at first where we would land we all talked about probable places where we would land we stayed up on the top deck as much as possible and were looking for trouble at any moment What were the rumors on board the boat, -----------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 rumors as I remember that we would land somewhere in the Mediterranean area After we had been at sea for sometime our Co comander --opened sealed orders (down below) He started to read to us we were to land in France We had a choice of 3 roads to take as I remember About this time we heard guns open

up. I thought sure we were being bombed we all run for the ladders to get up on deck. I guess the gun crew was just trying the guns out. From this point on [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] we were on edge all the time. I didn't sleep much and stayed on deck most of the time and hung onto my life preserve at all times.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Howard Kenneth Hanson Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No I think we were forbidden to keep a diary Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? not as I recall Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No Where you wounded? No 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? No Do you remember seeing* or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? No Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? when we first landed and got into an Area we just strained our eyes looking for German when the air force had straffed a German convoy and completely demolished the convoy we came into this town (dont remember name of town) we searched the houses and ect I went out into a barn and the looft didnt have a ladder so I put up a plank and crawled up to take a look I saw a German soldier lying face down I jumped down and started to holler he wouldn't move and

some of our boys came in to see what was wrong He finally got up and I guess he was as afraid as I was I held my 45 on him and he finally jumped down I took his 38 and his billfold which had about $40 in it at the American rate of exchange Well I asked the 1st Sgt what to do with him and he said take him down to the C.P. I did they said we don't want him so I marched him back feeling like a fool About this time prisoners were being hauled in and lined up so I left him there that was my 1st and last prisoner to capture