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Brooklyn, N.Y. NY 6 For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day Nothing 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? Edward LaGrassa
What was your unit and division? Co. I - 8th Inf 4th Div LL
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Utah Beach. 0600 AM.
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? P.F.C.
What was your age on June 6, 1944? 25
Were you married at that time? No
What is your wife's name? Flora
Did you have any children at that time? No
What do you do now? power press opr. liquor salesman
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? We were breifed in Plymouth, Eng. and given our new equiptment.
1) 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? During the crosing of the channel, most fellows were writting letters. Not knowing when the next one would be written. Most important of all, was checking our new equiptment, and above all our weapeons, which would be our best friend. when we hit the beach. we saw a movie on the flag ship, and a very good meal. all the trimmings compliments of the Navy.
2) What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane 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). When we were briefed in the marshling area, we were told what to look for, such as mines traps in the water, pill boxes on the beach, But our navy and air force, destroyed most of them, before we landed on the beach.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Edward Lagrassa
3) Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Diaries were forbidden, in case of capture by the enemy 4) Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? We did lose a few boys, the first day as we moved inland. one fellow, we never found about was missing thro out the war and to this day Im sure he was behind me. But we had to keep moving 5) Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? no 6) Were you wounded? Not a purple heart holder, but spent 3 wks in the hospital, for my eyes. one to shell bursts and conditions of warfare
7) Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? When I found I had to open my eyes with my fingers , I reported to the aid station and was sent back to the general hospital.
8) Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? We had some germans surrounded in a farm, with some horse, we fired a burst of machine gun fire, over the farm, and yelled to them to give up. The first man out, was a little fellow, who came out, with just hos undershorts, yelling dont shoot. It seems we caught them sleeping. D-day? 9) Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else?
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s - for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name
10) In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? Our first Sgt had to run the company when we only had a platoon left in the burtgen forest. after taking a great lose in men, but we held out position untill we were finally relived after a month
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? on the Flag ship of the invasion force Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Blosville, France
Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours(midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? James Fileccio PTL Albert Mazza 969 -50th Street Carbondale Police Station Bklyn. 19. N.Y. " Pa
PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM, FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED "WHERE THEY ARE NOW; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest
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June 10, 1958 Dear Mr. Lagrassa:
A book about D-Day, June 6, 1944, is being prepared by Cornelius Ryan for publication in The Reader’s Digest and in book form on the fifteenth anniversary of the Normandy invasion next spring. With the help of the Department of the Army, we have come into contact with Mr. Iz Goldstein of the 4th Division in Brooklyn, and he has given us your name and address and suggested, that we write to you asking that you help us also. Since the book will not be a strategic history, but a story of twenty-four hours as men lived them and remember them, we can only go to men who were there and then, if they are willing, invade their memories. We hope especially, then, that you will be willing to help us.
The project is huge. It deals with many men in several nations. Therefore, in order to make any sort of intelligent preparation for inter- views, we must have some basic Information to work with. We have prepared the enclosed questions in the hope that they will give us this basic information, and indicate to you the kind of material which we are seeking. It would be a great help to us if you would be willing to complete these questions and return them to me at your earliest convenience. I should like also to know whether or not you would be willing to talk with Mr. Ryan or myself during the next few months, and if so, when and where would be best for you. We look forward very eagerly to hearing from you. Thank you so very much for any help which you can give us.
Sincerely yours, Frances Ward Research Department
Mr. Edward Lagrassa 205 Woodbine Street Brooklyn, New York