Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 019, folder 15: Harold E. Wordeman

WORDEMAN, HAROLD E 37th Eng Combat N : 4. BOX 19, #15

37th Eng. C bn. Omaha 7 a.m. [?Read?] Easy Red Not

NY52 l.2 N.Y. V-O TE

For Conelius Ryan Book about D-Day Was evacuated on same LCT with Herman Wolf, who took its [illegible] pics [illegible] beach

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 ? (HAL) HAROLD E. WORDEMAN

What was your unit and division? 37th ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION - OF THE 5th ENGINEER SPECIAL BRIGADE (AMPHIBIOUS ENGINEERS)

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? EASY RED SECTOR OF OMAHA BEACH IN SECOND ASSAULT WAVE AT APPROXIMATELY 7 A. M.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? PRIVATE

What was your age on June 6 , 1944? 32 YRS.

Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name? NONE

Did you have any children at that time? NO

What do you do now? PRESENTLY UNEMPLOYED DUE TO WOUNDS. HAVE BEEN EMPLOYABLE ABOUT 5 YRS. OF THE PAST FOURTEEN.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? SPRING OF 1944 THOUGH WE SUSPECTED WE'D BE PART OF THE INVASION EARLIER DUE TO OUR SPECIALIZED TRAINING. WE WERE BRIEFED ON THE INVASION IN A D CAMP IN MAY 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 TRIP WAS ROUGH. WE WERE ON A L.CT. (LANDING CRAFT TANKS) CARRYING 2 HALF TRACKS, 1 NAVY BULLDOZER, 1 ARMY BULLDOZER, AND ABOUT 70 FOOT TROOPS. I WAS IN A RECONNESSANCE AND SECURITY PLATOON, OUR JOB TO FINISH WHAT WAS LEFT BY THE FIRST WAVE OF INFANTRY AND ENGINEERS. WE FOUGHT AS INFANTRY IN THE MORNING AND THE 37th RECEIVED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION.

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). [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] WE HAD BEEN ON THE L.C.T. 5 OR 6 DAYS BEFORE THE INVASION. WE STARTED OUT TO MAKE THE LANDING - JUNE 5th BUT THERE WAS A 24 HOUR DELAY. WE SLEPT ON THE DECK OF THE L.C.T. UNDER THE HALF TRACKS, ETC. AND WERE WET A GOOD PART OF THE TIME. ONLY RUMOR ABOARD WAS THAT THE BEACH WOULD BE THORUGHLY BOMBED BY THE AIR FORCE - BUT IT WASN'T.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name HAL WORDEMAN

Did you by any chanoe keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO.

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? NO

Were you wounded? YES

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 I REMEMBER. MY LEFT FOOT WAS BLOWN OFF AND THE RIGHT LEG ALSO HIT. FORTUNATELY THE SHRAPNEL CAUTERIZED THE ARTERIES SO I DIDN'T LOSE MUCH BLOOD. I REMAINED CONSCIOUS.

Call to find out how he got wounded.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? YES I REMEMBER SEEING AN OFFICER TAKING PICTURES ON THE BEACH

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? ABOVE MENTIONED OFFICER WAS WOUNDED AND LATER EVACUATED ON THE SAME BOAT WITH ME. HE WAS CAPTAIN HERMAN WALL OFFICIAL SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOGRAPHER AND HE REFUSED TO GIVE UP HIS CAMERA EXCEPT TO AN AMERICAN OFFICER. FOURTEEN OF US WERE TAKEN OFF THE BEACH IN "DUCKS" THE EVENING OF D DAY AND RETURNED TO ENGLAND ON A SMALL ENGLISH BOAT, HE WAS LATER DECORATED.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 -

Your name HAL WORDEMAN

In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-relianoe; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? NO

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? CROSSING THE CHANNEL ON AN L.C.T. HEADING FOR NORMANDY

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? RETURNING TO ENGLAND ON A SMALL ENGLISH BOAT.

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?

have CAPTAIN HERMAN WALL LAST KNOW ADDRESS GRANADA BUILDING LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

MY OWN HOME ADDRESS IS 34 BALTIMORE AVE, CPY 8-1657 MASSAPEQUA, L.I., N.Y.

IF NOT THERE I CAN BE REACHED AT THE BROOKLYN V.A. HOSPITAL, BROOKLYN, N.Y. WARD 5 EAST (ORTHOPEDICS). FOR APPOINTMENT AT THE HOSPITAL IT IS BEST TO CONTACT THE REGISTRARS OFFICE AT HOSPITAL

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 HOT 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

June 30, 1958

Mr. Hal Wordeman Ward 5 East Brooklyn V. A. Hospital Brooklyn, New York

Dear Mr. Wordeman:

Thank you very much for your letter and for your willingness to help us with Cornelius Ryan's book about D-Day. I hope you will forgive the delay in replying to your kind offer of assistance; we are gratified, but somewhat overwhelmed, by the wonderful response which we are getting as a result of our requests for information.

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 so many people, we have found it necessary to develop an individual file on each person who agrees to help us. Therefore, we hope 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 seme 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. We want very much to tell the story of your unit, and in order to do that we need the personal accounts of the men who were there. We particularly look forward to your reply

Sincerely yours,

Frances Ward Research Department

FW:LL Enclosure