Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 008, folder 41: Irvin W. Seelye

SEELYE, Irvin W. 82nd AB CHICAGO I11 1 BOX 8, #41

505

Ill N AB-N ILL-1

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 ? Irvin W. Seelye (nickname acc. to "Poopsheet") is TURK. What was your unit and division? Co E 505 parachute regt. 82nd Airborne Div Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? I landed about 2 1/2 miles from Ste Mere Eglise France about 1/00 AM on the morning of June 6 What was your rank on June 6, 1944? P F C What was your age on June 6, 1944? 24 years Were you married at that time? yes What is your wife's name? Isabelle H. Seelye Did you have any children at that time? 1 girl What do you do now? Teach social studies at the Crete- Monee High Schoool , Crete, Ill. When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? about three days before D-day

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 ? air of anxiety and fear present. There was a good deal of nervous smoking, only a smattering of small talk and a lot of silent and visible praying. Each trooper was busy checking his own personal fighting equipment and hoping for a good chute opening and a safe landing. As we approached the coast of Normandy we realized that this was to be a rough affair. The anti-aircraft fire was internal; crashed and burning transports could be seen on the ground thru the open door. Tracer bullets were visible through the windows. Our own plane was bouncing on the flak bursts. Our own pilot (in order to make a rapid return to the U.K.) failed to reduce the speed to the usual 110 MPH when the signal to jump was given. Instead we leaped out at a much higher speed - I would guess it to be about 130-140 MPH. 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 ) Each of us was most anxious to bail out and we all left the plane in good order in a matter of seconds. I was glad to leave the plane feeling that it would be safer on the ground than bouncing about on the flak The opening shock caused by the chutfe's opening at the high speed but I thought little about this during the half minute descent to the ground. In a matter of seconds I was out of my chute had my rifle assembled and bayonet affixed and looking for the others that were in the plane with me

for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Irwin W. Seelye

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day ? No. only mental notes Were any of your friends killed or wounded either, during the landing or during the day ? One friend who had been in my plane broke his leg upon landing. Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties ? He insisted that we leave him hidden in a hedge row and move on without him. We made him as comfortable as possible. I understand that the medics reached him the following day and within a short time he was evacuated to safety. His name is Maryland J Golden and he is currently living in Tallassee, Alabama. Were you wounded ? On June 11, 1944 I was hit by a German mortar shell 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 pain, just temporary blindness and broken legs Do you remember seeing or bearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not , of course , seem amusing at the time ? D-day afternoon found us in Ste Mere Eglise, a village on the Normandy peninsula. Several of us made contact with a French lad who was willing to help the war effort by filling our canteens with the product of his fathers wine cellar. The amusing part of this incident took place later in the day when we were forced to empty the contents because our officers claimed that the apple jack was poisoned. [Had they reason to think so? pencilled in.] For a truly amusing story of how John Boufford hung in a tree for a time after jumping in Normandy contact John- He lives in Sanford, Maine

Do you recall any incident , sad or heroic , or simply memorable , which struck you more than anything else ? A very distressing sight on D-day night was watching several American gliders loaded with men and materiel crash land in Normandy. Many of the occupants were dead within a matter of minutes after leaving England

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name I.W. Seelye

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? One of the stupid things which I did was to sleep on top of the ground, wrapped in a white parachute, the night of June 6. This would have been an excellent way to have gotten killed by a roving German patrol.

"Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? at an airport in England Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? near Ste Mere Eglise, England

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? Mr John McGarrah Princeton, Indiana

If I can be of any other help in your search for information please contact me at this address. 1401 Benton St Crete, Ill.

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. THE 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. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. Cornelius Ryan 5/1/58 Frances Ward Research, The Reader ’s Digest

May 2, 1958

Dear Mr. Seelye:

A book about D-Day, June 6, 1944, is being prepared by Cornelius Ryan for publication in The Reader's Digest and in book form on the 15th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion in the spring of 1959. This will not be another strategic history, but the story of the twenty-four hours of invasion day as individuals lived them and remember them. For this we must find the men who were there and, if they are willing, invade their memories. The story of the 82nd Airborne is obviously among the proudest, and therefore we were delighted to learn from General Gavin that someone is keeping a Company news sheet. We consider ourselves most fortunate in having received from Mr. Lassen a copy of his mailing list for the "E Company Poop Sheet.” We understand from him that not all of his readers were necessarily members of E Company, 505th Regiment, and that not all of them did necessarily go into Normandy on June 6, 1944. We write to you in the hope that you were in Normandy on D-Day, and more especially, in the hope that if you were there you will be willing to help us.

Mr. Ryan hopes ultimately to interview most of the people who agree to contribute to the book. These interviews will probably be conducted in the late spring and early summer of this year in the course of a crosscountry trip which Mr. Ryan plans to make. In the meantime, since we are literally dealing with hundreds of people, we are finding it necessary to keep an individual file on each person who expresses a willingness to help us. Therefore we hope that if you are willing to help us, you will complete the enclosed record and return it to me at your earliest convenience. We truly believe that these questions will serve you as well as us, if they can help to crystallize some hazy memories and to indicate the sort of information which we are seeking.

We will look forward to your reply with great anticipation. We want very much to tell the story of the 82nd, and in order to do that we need you. Thank you so very much for any help which you can give us.

Sincerely yours,

Frances Ward Research Department

Mr. Irv Seelye 1401 Benton Street Crete, Illinois