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N.DAK 4
For Cornelius Ryan
Book about D-Day
Nothing / a simpletons eye view of war
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? Howard Kenneth Hanson 37169786
What was your unit and division? Service Co 358 th Inf 90th Div
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Utah beach I think we landed about 2 in the afternoon we watched the planes + ships bond board the coast all morning
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Private
What was your age on June 6, 1944? 26
^Were you married at that time? No
What is your wife!s name? Artis J Hanson - married in 1947
Did you have any children at that time? no
What do you do now? I am post master here at Argusville N.D. and I also farm 400 acres
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? It was the early part of May-1944 we started to waterproof our trucks so they would run in deep water
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 about 4 or 5 days long as I remember the water was not too ruff we were all sort of nervous and we had no idea at first where we would land we all talked about probable places where we would land we stayed up on the top deck as much as possible and were looking for trouble at any moment
What were the rumors on board the boat, -----------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).
There were rumors as I remember that we would land somewhere in the Mediterranean area After we had been at sea for sometime our Co comander --opened sealed orders (down below) He started to read to us we were to land in France We had a choice of 3 roads to take as I remember About this time we heard guns open