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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -
Your name Albert PHILIP MAZZA

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day?
A MENTAL DIARY, IN FACT. IT WAS A DAY I SHALL NEVER FORGET. DURING THE
FIRST DAY NONE OF US KNEW WHAT TO DO OR WHERE TO GO.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or
during the day?
YES. DURING MANEUVERS WE WERE ON A PROBLEM IN ENGLAND, A PLACE CALLED
THE "MOORS" A GRENADE WENT OFF THAT HE WAS CARRYING AND WAS ALMOST KILLED.
WE THOUGHT HE HAD A CHARMED LIFE HE WAS KILLED THE FIRST DAY OF BATTLE

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became
casualties?
I DON'T REMEMBER SAYING ANYTHING TO HIM BEFORE HE BECAME
A CASUALTY. WE WERE SO BEWILDERED AND DISORGANIZED DURING THE
FIRST DAY WE HARDLY REMEMBER ANYTHING.

Were you wounded? Yes- TWiCE

Do you remember what it was like — that is, do you remember whether you
felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing?
THE FIRST TIME I WAS HIT I DIDN'T FEEL A PAIN UNTIL A
FEW MINUTES LATER. I FELT THE PAIN ON MY RIGHT FOOT. I LOOKED
DOWN AND SAW HALF MY SHOE BLOWN OFF. I WAS VERY MUCH SURPRISED
WHEN I FELT NOTHING AND SO MY FOOT WAS STILL IN TACT.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it may not have seemed funny at the time?
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS FUNNY OR NOT, BUT IN THE POSITION WE
WERE IN NOT KNOWING THE FUTURE ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT GOES
THROUGH A PERSON'S MIND. WE HAD A SOLDIER FROM TENNESSEE AND OUR
COMPANY. HE WOULD CARRY A PISTOL WITH HIM PLUS HIS RIFLE THE
PISTOL WAS OF GERMAN MAKE. MANY OF US CARRIED GERMAN GUNS. EVERY
TIME HE WOULD SEE A GERMAN SOLDIER DEAD HE WOULD FIRE A FEW
MORE BULLETTS INTO HIS BODY. THEN HE WOULD "I'LL MAKE SURE THEY'RE DEAD.
A GERMAN SOLDIER THREW A GRENADE AT ME. HE MISSED. THEN HE GAVE UP.
BUDDY NEXT TO ME SAW THIS. HE SAID TO ME "AL HE TRIED TO KILL YOU. SHOOT
HIM. I COULDN'T DO IT IN COLD BLOOD. HE KILLED HIM INSTEAD OF ME.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck
you more than anything else?
YES. DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WAR WE HAD
RECEIVED SOME REPLACEMENTS JUST BEFORE WE WERE READY
TO MAKE ANOTHER BIG PUSH. I SAID TO THIS ONE REPLACEMENT "HOW
LONG ARE YOU OVERSEAS? HE SAID TO ME "6 DAYS." JUST CAME
TO ENGLAND FIVE DAYS AGO AND EVER SINCE WE ARRIVED WE WERE
PREPARING TO COME HERE TO HELP YOU FELLOWS. I SAID TO HIM "I
BET YOU DIDN'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO WRITE HOME." "NOT YET"
WAS HIS REPLY THEN WE RECEIVED ORDERS TO MOVE OUT FOR THE
BIG PUSH. JUST THEN A BIG BARRAGE OF ARTILLERY SHELLS
CAME OUR WAY. THE REPLACEMENT I WAS TALKING TO HAD HIS ARM
BLOWN OFF AND HALF OF HIS RIGHT SIDE. [inserted] Post D-Day [end inserted] KILLED INSTANTLY. (OVER)