Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 015, folder 39: Bruce Pershing Judy

JUDY, Bruce Pershing CG OMAHA Wash 5 Box 15, #39

2nd WAVE 8:15 a.m. COAST GUARD OMAHA LCI (crossed out)illegible(end crossed out) 319, FLOTILLA 4

Ship's Cook 1st Class

TWO ANECDOTES 1) "Two brothers aboard our ship were hit along with 4 or 5 more by stafing. These two boys were several feet from each other, but they crawled to one another said practically the same words: 'I am not hurt. Can I help you? Can I give First Aid?' Then they tried to help one another up, but neither were able to do so.

2) "I fed all the Seabees who were working under fire making a pontoon deck. We served them in relays -- dehydrated corned beef hash. One young fellow took his plate from me, handed it back politely and said, 'I am' alergic to this type of food. Please, may I have some ham and eggs?' "

Dead

WASH 5 8-25-58 Kirkland, Wash LL

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day excerpt- but he doesn't sound as if he's the most reliable source

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? Bruce Pershing Judy

What was your unit and division? LCI (L) 319 flotilla 4 U.S. Coast Guard Unit

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? OMAHA Red Beach 2nd WAVE about 8 15a.m.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Ships cook 1st Class

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 26

Were you married at that time? Legally but had received a Dear John Letter.

What is your (inserted)present(end inserted) wife's name? Lily C

Did you have any children at that time? 1 a boy Born Nov 1, 43 I was in London at the time.

What do you do now? Self Employed - a caterer

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Unofficially in Dec 43 as we trained 6 months for it offically on Briefing on June 4th 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? The crossing of the Channel was rough & getting rougher every minute. Our crew aboard had all been together on other invasions & as we carried infantry troops that had not been though invasions or at rough Sea we crew members were very concerned about the soldiers & our main conversation was toward keeping the Sea sick Soldiers alive so they could get shot at.

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). Myself I wasnt worried about Scuttlebutt as we knew what to expect. We were expecting the Genies to use Gas, you should of seen the silly gas repellent outfits we wore, we expected magnetic mines, they were there, we expected criss, cross, Railroad (illegible) clros??(end illegible) the Beach, they were, & we expect to see Hitlers 5 fort walls, it was there but at San a crazy Guy Blu a Hole in it in 3 Seconds & 10 seconds late a shelllazee was there.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Bruce P Judy

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? yes but as it was against rules + reg. I got worried + buried it up

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

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? D-day? I was sitting on deck drinking coffee with my friend watching a dog fighter in the sky when a machine gun bullet rich--ed + went through his right forearm, I told him, you just won a Purple Heart, He said the Hell I did where? then he got sick

Were you wounded? no I laid down every chance I got.

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? "Sure" I fed all the Seabee's which were working under fire making a pontoon dock we served them in relays. "Dehydrated corned beef hash." one young fellow took his plate from me handed it back politely + said, I am alergic to this type of food please may I have some ham + eggs Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? yes Two brothers abord on ship were hit along with 4 or 5 more by Strafing These two boys were several feet from each other, but they crawled to each other + said practially the same words to each other. I am not hurt can I help you , can I give you first aid. then they tried to help each other up yet neither of the two were able to do so D-day?

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Bruce July

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 weighed 160 lbs but during the invasion I could pick up a 250 lb smoke pot + run with it. I hid a ring my mother gave me, I found it in the Bilges down in the engine room. I patched a hole in the side of our ship with an orange crate + the skipper matress, I didnt want mine to get wet. Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? near Portsmouth Eng. Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? anchored off of Omaha beach

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 ? write me Francis X OReilly our C.O. He is with the police dept. in yout city. write, Charles Biven, Cleveland Tenth He was the "clown" I'm sure he out ran all the bullets that came aboard + wished them bad tidings. The one thing that kept me cook + alert was the speech General Eisenhower made us before the invasion . "He personally assured me" that I had nothing to worry about. so I figured then let him worry for me. I did get a kick out of playing poker with "invasion money" I won one pot of $5,000/00 + almost laughed myself to death thinking about where I was going

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 TORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM.FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IH 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 over

our flotilla had taken part in the invasion of, Africa, Sicily, + Italy in 1943, Then crossed to england where we trained from Plymouth, Cornwall, Dartmouth + Portsmouth + Portland weymouth. for 6 months we were well trained + aching to go home we had heard that song "I'll be Home for Xmas" a couple of times too we had been promised that, as soon as we invaded Normandy we would go home. So I believe that every one one of us really felt that we would be back in the states in a matter of days + we were more worried about each other not being so lucky. we looked out for each other + we made no mistakes. When it came my time in late July to go home, I gave my turn to Jimmy Phelps of Shruseport La. "my 3rd cook" as Jimmy had 3 kids + the worst case of homesickness you ever saw. So what happened? we brought the Darn P-pot home, I did get home for Xmas that year 44- what happened? I went down to the Railroad where I used to work as a civilian, stuck my foot in a live steam line + spent Xmas in a rocking chair. So much for me. I would like the U.S. coast guard to receive all the credit possible our invasion was on all C.G. unit. At your service I remain Bruce P Judy