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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?
SFC Miles Leroy Allen

What was your unit and division?
Co. "G" 506 Parachute Inf. Regt. 101st Airborne Divison

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time?
I landed by parachute close to the town of Carentan,France at about 2355 hours on 5
June [crossed out]1955[end crossed out] 1944

What was your rank on June 6, 1944?
PFC
What was your age on June 6, 1944?
21
Were you married at that time?
NO
What is your wife!s name?
Mary Ellen
Did you have any children at that time?
NO
What do you do now?
Duty Sgt

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion?
Approximately about a week before, as they took us to a airfield and put us
behind barbed wire enclourse

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?
For the most part, the men in the planes were very quite, and each man seemed to
be thinking of home and other places he would rather be, until we reached the coast
and the anti-aircraft fire began to reach up and seem to envelope us all at one time,
and then the men showed uneasiness and most of them were more than glad to jump
out of the planes. Speaking for myself I was very glad to get out because that plane
seemed as big as a barn up there and I sure didn't want to be in that plane if it
got hit.

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).