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[*Ft. Benjamin Harrison LL IND 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? Warren George Coffman
What was your unit and division? Co C 26th Inf Regt 1st Inf Div
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Omaha Beach, Third wave on morning of 6 June. Actual time is unknown
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Private First Class
What was your age on June 6, 1944? Twenty one
Were you married at that time? No
What is your wife's name? NA
Did you have any children at that time? NA
What do you do now? Captain Ordnance Corps U S Army Presently assigned as Asst Plans Officer Finance School U S Army. Being transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md to attend the Ordnance Officer Advance Course effective 1 July 1958
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? We suspected it as early as the previous November however we did not actually know it until we were on the ship on 4 June 1944
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? Most of us were sea sick and spent the time in the bunk
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). I don't remember any rumors. We were very well briefed by the Company Officers.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Warren G Coffman
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No. It is against regulations.
Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Several were killed and wounded. One entire squad was killed by one German machine gunner.
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? There wasn't much time to talk.
Were you wounded? Five months and 19 days later on 25 November 1944
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? I was surprised and 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 remember the first twenty four hours very clearly and most of it seems amusing now
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? I remember several incidents which stand out in my mind. The most outstanding was crawling under live machine gun fire such as we practiced in the infiltration courses in training.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Warren G Coffman
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? Stupidy mostly
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Crossing the channel on an LCI
Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? A few hundred yards inland from the beach guarding a cross roads
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?
I have no addresses
PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. 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.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.
Corne1ius Ryan
Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest
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27 April 58
Miss Ward,
Saw your ad in Army Times. I was there on 6 June 1944. Co. C 26th Inf Regt, 1st Inf Div. Landed on first L.C.I. in.
Capt Warren G. Coffman Plans Office Finance School U.S.A. Fort Benjamin, Harrison Ind.