Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 019, folder 06: Vernon Augustine Thompson

Vernon Augustine Thompson Belt 2 - 6 A

Ryan: I mean what branch

Thompson: Baptist

Ryan: Baptist - do you have any particular prayer that’s close to you

Thompson: No I guess I always make up my own prayers - the way I...

Ryan: Yeah - did you get sick that night emotionally - did you feel sick that night after all that day

Thompson: I felt awful nervous - in fact - pretty nearly all of us were pretty well shot - as far as our nerves were concerned when we got back and the only thing I remember is getting back in and I gave them some pills and we took them and went off to sleep - because we hadn't had any sleep the night previous to that - we had gotten up to make the run and back and...

Ryan: What did you do with the flag just before you went to bed that night - where did you put it

Thompson:

Ryan: What do you do now

Thompson: I’m a sporting goods salesman

Ryan: Where

Thompson: Goldsborough, North Carolina

Ryan: Goldsborough - well looking back on it now how did it strike you - do you remember - what would you say was the most courageous thing that you saw that day of memorable things

Thompson: Well courageous - of course I didn’t see too much of that, but the most memorable thing to me there has always been on my mind was the boat setting through the water and chewing the boys up but - courageous - I don’t think - I think everybody done a wonderful job that they could do but on that particular one we weren’t in advance so there wasn’t too much anybody could do

Vernon Augustine Thompson Belt 2 - 7 A

Ryan: What was the most stupid [crossed out] you [end crossed out] thing you saw that day

Thompson: (can't make out)

Ryan. Well now, let me ask you this - I have to ask you this because we have to -- get this from everybody - do you agree to letting me have full rights to this and you understand that it maybe used in a dramatic representation and also that we may have to make editorial changes

Thompson: Oh yes - I knew that

Ryan: Do you fully agree

Thompson: Yes, I did

Ryan: Thanks very much

Thompson: There's one other thing that was quite interesting - before let's see - it was the day before we were scheduled to go on the 7th - [crossed out] there were [end crossed out][inserted] we had [end inserted] quite a few coxwains that were on the PT boats in charge of landing craft and a bomb - a plane came over and bombed us at the hotel and killed pretty near all the coxwains that [inserted] were going... [end inserted] were in this hotel

Ryan: When was that

Thompson: That was the day before the one I don't know postponement

Ryan: That was June 4

Thompson: Yeah - early morning - and

Ryan: Do you remember - where abouts were you when this happened

Thompson: Oh I was up - you see we had one base over there but then we hadn't enough room and they had hotels and hous[crossed out] ing [end crossed out][inserted] es [end inserted]for the boys to stay in but I was on the base and I remember going down there and shortly after we had found out about it - I went down there in fact all that was in this particular hotel

Ryan: How did you know that there were... that this is where the coxwains went

Vernon Augustine Thompson Belt 2 - 8 A

Thompson: Because we knew who stayed there and they were all sailors and of course where most of the sailors stayed and they were all attached to one I guess its one squadron something like that down that landing craft - I did[inserted]n't[end inserted] know and try and got anybody that had anything to do - knew how to steer a boat or any or anything else.

Ryan: Who came up and asked — who came up would you say

Thompson: A Lt. Knight

Ryan: Lt. Knight - U. S. Airman

Thompson: Yes - he came up and trying to...

Ryan: What did he say - do you know

Thompson: Said we'll need somebody for landing craft boats — anybody that can steer one or has ever had anything to do with outboard motors or any of that type - that I guess most of us knew we had lost quite a few men down there and most of them are in charge of the boats and we’ve got to have somebody to take these soldiers

Ryan: Now whereabouts were you staying - where were you staying - were you in a hotel

Thompson: No - I [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] was on the base

Ryan: On the base - what was that base called

Thompson; The only thing I know - it was called (sounds like Gorman

Ryan: Gorman

Thompson: Cou Beaumont base - I believe

Ryan: What - how do you spell it

Thompson: Colle Beaumont Base

Ryan: Oh - Colle Beaumont Base

Thompson: (can’t make out) - 3rd belt starting

Ryan: And when did Knight come in and do this - in the morning sometime

Thompson: It was very early the next morning, Yes

Ryan: On the morning of June 5th

Thompson: That’s right

Vernon Augustine Thompson Belt 3 - 1 B

Ryan: The was to supposed to have left during the night, I believe

Thompson: During the night and they, well, they had... I don’t know it got...whether it took all of them or not but I do know they didn't have more than came in and...

Ryan: Maybe the day before June 3rd or something like it - anyway I can check on that.. Well listen I'm very grateful to you for this interview

Thompson: Sure

Ryan: And, and [inserted] we'll [end inserted] see if we can't get you into it.

Thompson: Okay

Ryan: Thank you.

machinist mate Frank de Gerraro 2041 Westchester Ave Bronx, N.Y. about 28 - stood on mine while searching for souveniers Vernon --- Thompson saw him being blown up. [crossed out]Ship's Cook 3rd class[end crossed out] Seaman, 1st class/ cook striker Vernon quickly picked up his flag + [?scrammed?] after De Gerraro hit.