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CG--TE
Long Beach
In Calif. til Aug .13
LL
CAL 8

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?
MR. LEO FREY

What was your unit and division?
LST #16 (The abreviations are for Landing Ship, Tank

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time?
We arrived off "OMAHA" beachhead at approximately 0300 - 6th June, 1944
Our beach area was "Green beach," "OMAHA" beachhead.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944?
Chief Motor Machinist Mate

What was your age on June 6, 1944?
25 yrs. of age.

Were you married at that time? yes

What is your wife's name? MURIEL PATRICIA FREY

Did you have any children at that time? I had a son born the day before Anzio
Invasion, 21 Jan. 1944 and he was almost 9 months old before I saw him
for the first time.

What do you do now? I entered the Coast Guard in FEB. 1941, intending to make
it my career, & have done so. I am now a Warrant Officer with over
17 yrs. service & am presently stationed aboard the weather patrol ship
Minnetonka - WPG-67 out of Long Beach, California.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion?
The first definite word was approximately 2nd June, 1944 when we loaded
troops at Falmouth, England. 29th Division, 1st Army.

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? The initial trip
was calm and the course of conversation was the invasion of the continent
and what country we were to land in. Difference of opinion whether it would
be France, Belgium, Holland. We hit heavy fog for awhile and were following
a fog buoy from the ship forward of us. One of the infantry men spotted it,
thought it was a periscope & commenced firing his MI at it, to no avail
of course.

What were the rumors on board the [crossed out] boat, [end crossed out] ship or [crossed out] plane [end crossed out] 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).
We had heard about "Jerry" and the gasoline trap. Heard about the
Jerry's "E" boats; heavy mine laying of the coastal waters and also the
very numerous subs that Jerry had concentrated in the channel.