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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -

Your name STRAYER, Robert

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day?
yes - but it was lost at a later
date.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or
during the day?
Yes - many of them, - since our unit had
been training together for 2 years prior to the invasion
I had made many friends. - One was lost in swamp and drowned
unable to get of chute)

[note in left margin] one plane
shot down -
w/one of my
co. commandos
& his bdy. ptt [end note in left margin]

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became
casualties?
Yes - Lt. Col Bob Wolverton of the 3rd
Bn. (Who was killed immediately upon landing_
[crossed out] had [end crossed out] & I had made an agreement to meet
at the 1st possible time after the landing -
we both wished each other "Good luck."

Were you wounded? Injured - A panel split on my chu
& consequently I landed very hard - both ankles & my
right knee were injured.

Do you remember what it was like--that is do you remember whether you
felt any pain or were you so surprosed that you felt nothing? - Yes - I came down
so fast & without the usual opening shock I felt my
chute wasn't going to open - so I thought "this is it"- but th
I really hit the ground hard & [crossed out]othe [end crossed out]although I was shook up
considerably - I knew I was still alive. As I tried to stand up to
collapse my chute - I fell forward & realized my knees & ankle
were hurt.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? Yes - As I lay on
the ground right after bailing out of the plane, I got my
knife- out to cut myself out of the 'chute harness. I
started hearing noises - near a hedgerow - I immediately conjured
up a vision of Germans creeping up on me etc. - I tried
to get my squirt gun (which we called them) assembled. - but I
was in such a position that this was very difficult. Finally
as the noise got louder I decided I had better see if it was
friend or foe. I took my cricket from around my neck &
clicked it, - when to my surprise instead of an answering crick I
heard a loud "Moo" - Was I relieved!

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable which struck
you more than anything else?
My first sight of dead soldiers, - American - was
an uncanny feeling. My first reaction & still is - "How
stupid wars are"! - Didn't have time to think much
about it as I was too busy,