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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -
Robert Franco MD
750 Swift Boulevard
Richland, Washington

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? Many

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became
casualties?
Yes There was a young Lieutenant
in my tent at the Airport (name Colo, I
believe) He has the first American
"burp-gun" I had seen & carried it about with
him enthusiastically killing imagining Germans.
He was killed in landing (his first operation) &
I heard he never touched down - shot suspended
by his lines from a tree.

Were you wounded? Not till June 27 Minor scratch on
about June 11.

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?
Surprised. Felt like a kick in the groin.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time?
Our regimental Demolitions Officer, who had
handled hundreds of pounds of explosives,
had a package of matches blow up in his
face while lighting a cigarette. He had a
red face for two good reasons. Later a
booby-trap blew up in his face - eye & hand
wounds, but he was OK otherwise.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck
you more than anything else?
1. Lt Jack Gavin greeted me warmly
when I ran across him several days
after the landings - he said he had
heard I had been killed. 3 months later
he was dead
2. Capt. Pete Suer took one disgusted
look at me when I was brought in
as a casualty & said, "Lucky S.O.B."
6 months later he was dead.