Page 3

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -
Your name Lou Merlano
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? Yes - one complete squad [crossed out]with who[end crossed out]
that I had soldiered with for over a yr and had
all drowned - half of my plane load also drowned
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became
casualties?
I had been transferred from my rifle squad three
days prior to the Normandy jump and the
kidding amongst the fellows was along
the lines that I now was lost since I would
not be under my buddies guidance. Hand
shaking prevailed prior to boarding planes
and the usual, see you later, meet you in France
etc.
Were you wounded?
Yes, June 11, 1944 - machined gunned at
Carentan, France
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?
Do you remember seeing- or bearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time?
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck
you more than anything else?
when he landed saw little
hillocks in field. Thought it was minefields - turned
out to be cow dung. Lyns
all over it Achtung Minen.