D-Day Beaches at Normandy, Veteran
After graduating from High School and age 18, I enlisted in the Navy and was transferred to England to be trained for the invasion of France. I was assigned to a heavily armed amphibious gunfire support ship (LCG 6) to protect our landing forces on the beaches of Normandy.
On the night of June 5th 1944, we crossed the English Channel in extreme weather and rough seas in preparation for the main D-Day invasion. We transported the 4th Infantry Division to the “Utah” beaches. As a close support gun ship, we were able to destroy pillboxes and artillery sites. Although not planned, we were also able to rescue the wounded and retrieve the dead of those beaches on that fateful day in WWII. Like other wars we took some friendly fire and shrapnel causing unfortunate casualties. Four days later, we transported the wounded to hospitals and deceased bodies back to England.
My European Navy duties ended in October 1944 when I was sent back to the States aboard the “Queen Mary”. I had a 30-day leave respite before being reassigned to the Pacific theater where I participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 and Okinawa on April 9, 1945 with considerable effort made to assist in the repelling of enemy aircraft.
I participated in the landing of the first occupational troops in Japan at Yokohama on September 2, 1945 and having the distinction of being on board the first American attack transport to dock in Japan.