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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -
Your name Wayne E Palmer

Did you by any chance 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 - more than I care to
think about as we lost close to
50% of our strength the 1st morning.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became
casualties? DON'T REMEMBER - EVERYTHING WAS
VERY BUSINESS LIKE.

Were you wounded? SLIGHTLY IN THROAT - NO HOSPITALATION.

Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you
felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing? JUST A
SLIGHT PAIN OR SHOCK.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it may not have seemed funny at the time?
WE HAD A LITTLE SHORT FELLOW WHO AS SOON
AS WE HIT THE WATER INFLATED HIS LIFE BELT
AND THEN COULDN'T TOUCH THE BOTTOM AND HE COULDN'T
SWIM SO ALL HE COULD DO IS FLOAT + WAVE HIS ARMS
FOR HELP UNTIL I GOT UNLOADED + COULD HELP HIM IN.
HE TOOK ALOT OF KIDDING LATER.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck
you more than anything else?
1. The scattered wreckage and many wounded
and dead upon the beach when I first
saw land - up to that time I had felt that
briefing would be pretty close to right.
2. The tremendously accurate artillery
fire from a little navy destroyer that
helped us finally get moving off the
beaches
[inserted] Too bad - post D day [end inserted]
3. The look on some German prisoners
faces on the beach on D+1 when they
[unintelligable] equiptment follins ashore