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May 22, 1958
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Dear Mr. Gordon: is
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Thank you for writing to us concerning Cornelius Ryan's forthcoming
book about D-Day. Since Mr. Ryan is now away, and has been away from New
to write you ex-
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York for the major part of the last month, he has asked
your willingness to help us.
As your source of information may not have clearly indicated, this book
will not be another strategic history of the invasion operation, but a story
of the twenty-four hours of D-Day as men lived them and remembered them. For
such a story, we can only go to the men who were there, and if they are will- ing, invade their
of the people who agree to help us, and so I should be grateful if you would
let me know whether or not you would be available far interview at your pres- ent address during the period between now and the end of July of this year.
I should be grateful also if you would be willing to complete the enclosed
at your earliest convenience. We have assembled
these questions in the hope that they may serve you as well as us, by help- ing to recall
if ies. Thus Mr. Ryan hopes ultimately to interview many
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long-forgotten incidents and indicate the sort of terial
which we are seeking. We need the answers to them as & basic file of vital
statistics on each of our informants, and also, as a means of preparing for
interviews for Mr. Ryan, these sheets will serve as a reminder of salient
facts and references which he will wish to pick up later on.
We know that the story of D-Day is the story of many men and many units.
Mr. Ryan wants very much to do Justice to your outfit, and in order to do so
he needs your help and the help of any others to whom you can direct us. We
shall look forward very eagerly to your reply. Thank you so very much for
any help that you can give us.
Sincerely yours,
Frances Ward
Research Department
/ SP-3 Fred Gordon, RA 62431» A Company, 447th Sig Bn. Const.
A.P.O. 189
Rev York, Hew York
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