Marion Forgive for I Know Not What I Do(LOL). WILCO MON CHEF!!!!!!
206thmpco I hope this doesn't gross you out or what the hey!!
Note:- LCI = Landing Craft Infantry = Higgins Boat
ASTP Butter Ball Lt = Army Specialized Training Program 2nd Lt.(Gold Bar)
"The Ride to the Beach":-
We left England aboard a troop ship just about a week after D-Day and
there wasn't a whole lot a space aboard the ship but the trip was fairly
short. When we got about a half mile off-shore they dropped cargo nets
over the side and I'm sure you remember the drill. Groups of sixes were
lined up and approached the side to descend into the Higgin's boats that
were coming along side when the word was given-down you went with
all your gear. The Channel must be loaded with the gas masks that were
thrown over the side as excess weight.
Due to the swell that was running this day, the sailors had painted a line
on the ship's side below which you were not to go. In truth,it wasn't too
high but to us it looked liked we had to climb down from a very high place I
into a a canoe which was to hold about a Platoon of Infantry. The swell had
guys sick just looking down at the boat and one guy got so agitated he didn't
think to stop at the painted line and when the swell carried the Higgins boat
up it knocked him off the cargo net and he was gone. I've always remembered
that because we hadn't even got onto the landing craft and we had lost a man
that I knew very well. That sobered everybody and all talking stopped.
Then the circling began until the required number of Higgins boats were filled
and this took time and caused a lot of the men on the boat to get sea sick. By
the time we were lined up in our wave, we were knee deep in vomit and God
forbid you fell down but several men did and it wasn't pretty. One man in the
Plt. was lying on the deck in the puke etc(you figure out the etc.)and when
we got to the beach he said he was too sick to walk ashore let alone fight if
he had to. The Plt. Ldr.told him that if he didn't get up and in position he would
go back to the troop ship and surely be sent back to the beach again. That was
enough to get him on his feet and to wade ashore(thankfully this washed a lot
on the vomit off him in the process) so he looked and smelled much better.
(Actually I think he was tripped or should I say I know he was because I did it.)
The next day the "sick" man approached me and was very upset because he
said he just realized that in order to get back to the States,if he "made it',he
would have to get back on a ship and he didn't think he would be able to do
so. I'm happy to say he made it back to Michigan and after a number of years
died in his own bed at home with his wife and family around him.
Gotta Run -- Bon Soir Toute le Monde
Sgtleo 