Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 010, folder 50: Dan D. Schopp

Seasickness

5th Rangers Omaha Dog Green

On way into beach

1. "Lt. Swazey, our P.O. & S/Sgt. Brewer - our section sgt, were desperately sea sick. Both were hanging over the side of our LCA. I was holding Swazey's feet. When we got a little closer, a Kraut [mg?] opened up. Immediately both recovered, grabbed their helmets & sat on the bottom with the rest of us, seasickness forgotten."

2. "We were so cold and miserable that when an artillery shell hit the rear of our LCA somebody hollered "We're sinking." The rest of us yelled "The hell with it. Let it sink. The boat hit a mine which didn't explode but we were damaged. The flotilla cmdr & his British crew came ashore with their Lewis gun & made like soldiers."

3. An [LCI?] with a flame thrower man was hit by artillery. Much fire & smoke. I saw a man being half carried across the beach. I thought he had on long white evening gloves, nearly removed & hanging inside out. It was the skin shredding off from the burns."

On the beach

"I hit the dirt (sand) halfway across the beach to catch my breath & duck a burst of mg fire. Behind my shelter (a steel tetrahedron obstacle) was a GI. I first thought he was dead. He pushed a scared face next to mine and blurted: I'm supposed to be blowin' these obstacles, but these sons-a-bitches won't let me." Another burst of fire and I jumped up & headed inland for the comparative safety of the sea wall."

Scott AFB, Illinois *a very articulate Ranger, great clarity & impression

ILL 14

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? Dan D. Schopp What was your unit and division? 5th Ranger Inf Bn - No Division Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? OMAHA DOG GREEN - about 0800 What was your rank on June 6, 1944? 775 What was your age on June 6, 1944? 19 Were you married at that time? yes What is your wife!s name? Gloria Did you have any children at that time? One son What do you do now? M/Sgt USAF, [illegible] Scott AFB Firing Range. When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? April or March 44. for sure. Knew in a general way Dec 43. 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? Had a flyover of friendly fighters for identification class. Also a flyover of a captured ME 109 & FW 190. An amphib jeep for use of a British staff officer was accidentally sunk while trying to load. Shot the ball w/British sailors and members of a Joint Army Navy "FOO" (Fwd Obs) Party who had done this stuff before. 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). Don't remember on the boat but after we landed the main topic of conservation was snipers.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name D.D. Schopp Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No - it was verboten. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes. T/sgt Zack the [Motr?] Segt when the doors of his LCM opened. Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No Were you wounded? No just scared 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 hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? I hit the dirt (sand) halfway across the beach to catch my breath and duck a burst of MG fire. Behind my shelter (a steel tetrahedron obstacle) was a GI I first thought dead. He pushed a scared face next to mine and blurted "I'm supposed to be blowin' these obstacles, but those sons-a-bitches wont let me" Another burst of fire and I jumped up & headed inland for the comparative safety of the sea-wall. Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? [crossed out] Above and: [end crossed out] Lt Swazey and Comm O & S/Sgt Brewer our section sgt were desparately sea sick on the way in. They both were hanging over the side of our LCA. I was holding Swazey's feet. Obviously they felt miserable. When we got a little closer, a Kraut MG opened up. Immediately

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name

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? We were so cold + miserable, that, when an artillery shell hit the rear of our LCA somebody hollered "Were sinking" the rest of us yelled "The hell with it, let it sink". The boat hit a mine which didn't explode but we were damaged. The flotilla Cmdr + his British crew came ashore with their Lewis gun and made like soldiers.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Board ship

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Farmyard outskirts Vierville-su-mer.

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? Lt Col James O. Rudder Richard P Sallivun

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOH. WE 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. [No acknowledgement required THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest See reverse

an LCI with a flame thrower armed man was hit by artillery. Much fire & smoke. I saw a man being half carried across the beach [crossed out] he looked as [end crossed out] I thought he had on long what evening gloves, nearly removed & hanging inside out. It was his skin shredding off from burns.