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II

10. When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion?
It was obvious that we would be part of the invasion on the
mainland when we moved from Italy to North Ireland in November
of 1943. We didn't know where or when but we were marked
for it. As near as I can remember it was about 1 June, 1944,
when we knew our time had run out. It was at this time that
we moved to airports and were sealed in. We were soon told
that the invasion point was the Normandy area. Our experience
in Sicily and Salerno was not going to be written off.

11. What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you
remember, for example, any conversation you had or how you
passed the time ?

[*have
[crossed out]Wrote
Coyle, no
response[end crossed out]*]

The jump had been postponed the night of 5 June, 1944. It was
like a last minute reprieve to a condemned man. Although our
spirits were high, inside the butterflies were working overtime.
It was my recollection that time was my greatest enemy and I
had reached the end of the line. We had loaded our equipment
bundles that afternoon. We moved out to the aircraft about
2200 hours and struggled into our chutes. There was a last
minute flurry of hand shakes and good luck wishes. Lieuts.
Jim Coyle and Ted Peterson, my closest friends in "E " Co. ,
shook hands with me briefly. Our comments, "Good Luck,
see you on the ground." I was not to see either one of them
again for six weeks or more. Both were wounded and evacu-
ated before our paths crossed in Normandy. We took off
approximately 2300 hours and settled back for the trip. My
plane was loaded with veterans of Italy and Sicily. The butts
were broken out -- conversation was slight. I was in command
of the "stick". As such, I was the jumpmaster. It was my
job to jump first. I can remember spending some time stand-
ing in the open door. I could make out the rest of the formation
in the hazy light of a half moon. I went back to my seat and
relaxed. The crew chief warned me when we were 10 minutes
from the DZ. I alerted the men, who immediately hastened
last minute preparations, primarily checking their equipment.
I stationed myself at the door again so I could see what was
going on. We hit some heavy cloud formations and at one time
I lost sight of the plane opposite me in the formation. I was a
little uneasy, as any threat to a close formation when we jumped
could be disastrous. A loose formation would scatter us too
far.