Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 012, folder 43: Leo A. Stumbaugh

1st Div. STUMBAUGH, Capt Leo A. Korea 1

Box 12, #43

Fox Green Omaha

Dead

Good landing ramp stuck

At Beach

--we had on 90 lb. assault jackets & had to climb up over the ramp & jump about 6' down. The weight of the jacket cause me to fall flat when I hit the ground.

Brit. sailor put down right up on sand. It was shelled before all men out & I am sure men killed

Saw tank firing from an L S T that had entire front of it shot away & no chance of it getting ashore

[*[crossed out]Laurence, KANSAS[end crossed out] KOREA KOREA 1 LL*]

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? CAPT LEO A. STUMBAUGH

What was your unit and division? Co K, 16th INF REGT, 1st INF DIV

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? FOX GREEN, [crossed out][illegible][end crossed out] OMAHA BEACH AT APPROXIMATELY 0645, 6 JUN 44

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? 2d LT

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 24

Were you married at that time? YES

What is your wife's name? CLARA M.

Did you have any children at that time? YES, WE HAD A DAUGHTER 11MOS OLD AND MY WIFE WAS 6 MOS PREGNANT.

What do you do now? CAPT SIG C, HQ &HQ CO, 127TH SIG BN, 7TH INF DIV, KOREA

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? IN JANUARY 1944 we knew we were being trained for the invasion of [crossed out]fr[end crossed out] France somewhere, sometime.

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? Morale was high. We had been training for the invasion so long, we were happy to be on the way and get it over so we could go back home. I only remember seeing a lot of ships. We could see ships in every direction and realized that we were only a small part of a huge force that would surely succeed. I don't remember talking much. The channel was very rough and the men were sea sick going into the beach.

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). WThe rumor was that the Germans had moved the majority of their reserves to the north and we shouldn't have any trouble. I was an "assault Section" leader of 30 men and I don't recall any rumors as such. We went to bed early as we were to disembark at 0400 the next morning.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No

Were any of your friends killed out wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casaulties? I remember talking to [crossed out]1st Lt [?Zyblut?] from[end crossed out] no my Plat Sgt [crossed out]Bayone, N. J.[end crossed out] about the wonderful job the Navy was doing of shelling the beach before we left the ship to assault the beach. Lt Zyblut from Bayonne, N. J. was my best friend and he was wounded or killed on the beach. I remember he was [crossed out]injured[end crossed out] wounded in his leg or foot. I never saw or heard of him since

Were you wounded? Not during the invasion. I was wounded in Dec 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? Yes like a sharp cramp in the back of my thigh

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? Yes the ramp on the assault boat was jammed when we landed and wouldn't let down. We had on 90 lb assault jackets and had to climb up [crossed out]of[end crossed out] over them ramp and jump about 6 ft down. The weight of the assault jacked caused me to fall flat when I hit the ground.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? The British sailor that put the assault boat right up on the sand was very brave and did a good job. The boat was shelled before all of my men got out and I am sure the crew were killed. I remember seeing a tank firing from an LST that had the entire from of it shot away and no chance of it getting ashore. A man running across the beach hit a mine and was blown to bits right in front of me. I continued in the same direction.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Leo A Stumbaugh

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? I received an order from Lt Robinson who had assumed command of the company, to assault a fortified position on the hill but we had to pull back be- cause of no covered approach to it. Then was ordered to assault it again with no success Several of my men were needlessly killed. It took until 4:00 PM to knock it out and the Navy did it with their 8 guns Lt Robinson was killed by a [crossed out]sp[end crossed out] sniper before he got off the beach

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? aboard ship crossing the Channel

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? In Calle Ville Sur Mer, France. (I'm not sure of the spelling of the town). It is about 1 mile inland.

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 know names [inserted]of men[end inserted] that were with me then but I do not have any current addresses that you could write to. 1st Lt Zyblut, Bayonne, N.J. Lt Hallisey, N. Y., Sgt Akins, Lt Luther, Capt Richmond. I might add something of my thoughts as I landed on the beach. I felt that I would surely die on the beach because of the heavy shelling and direct fire we received. I could see my wife's and mothers faces crystal clear all of a sudden. Then when I got inland off the beach I felt that I would live through it and return to my family.

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.

Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

[*I will return to the U S in March 1959*]

June 5, 1958

Capt. Leo A. Stumbaugh 507 Elm Street Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Capt. Stumbaugh:

A history of D-Day, June 6, 1944, to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Normandy invasion next year is being prepared by Cornelius Ryan for publication in the Reader's Digest and in book form. It is being written with the complete cooperation and assistance of the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense. This will not be another strategic history of invasion day, but a story of the twenty-four hours of D-Day as people lived them and remembered them. For this, we can only go to the men who were there and, if they are willing, invade their memories. Having learned of the part which you played in the invasion, we hope very much that you will be interested in this project and agree to help us.

During the next few months, both in this country and in Europe, Mr. Ryan will be interviewing many of the D-Day participants who agree to contribute to the book. Very probably, he will wish to talk with you during that period. In the meantime, since we are dealing with literally hundreds of people, we have found it necessary to develop an individual file on each person who agrees to help us. Therefore, we hope that if you are interested in the project, you will complete the enclosed record and return it to me at your earliest convenience. We truly believe that these questions will serve you, as well as us, if they can help to crystallize some hazy memories and to indicate the sort of information which we are seeking.

I should be most grateful to know as soon as possible when and if you will be available for interview during the next few months. We want very much to tell the story of your unit, and in order to do that we need your personal account. We look forward eagerly to your reply.

Sincerely yours,

Frances Ward Research Department

FW:LL Enclosure