Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 013, folder 60: Domenick Louis Magro

4th Div MAGRO, Domenick Louis NY 50

Box 13, #60

3rd wave _ I think

[crossed out]3rd Bn.[end crossed out]

Dead

Story of wounded boy calling his mother

[*Buffalo (14 Evanston Pl) N. Y. NY50 LL*]

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day

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? DOMENICK LOUIS MAGRO

What was your unit and division? [crossed out]H2[end crossed out] HQ CO 3RD BN 12TH INF H DIV

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? WE ARRIVED AT UTAH BEACH JUNE 6, 1944 AT 0600 HOURS.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? SgT.

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 28

Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name? GENEVIEVE

Did you have any children at that time? [crossed out]4 ?[end crossed out] NO

What do you do now? CASTING CONDITIONER AT BETHLEHEM STEEL CO. AT PRESENT LAID OFF DUE TO THE RECESSION.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? ABOUT JUNE 1ST 1944.

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 KIND OF ROUGH. WE TALKED ABOUT OUR HOMES AND FAMILIES MOSTLY. WHAT WE INTENDED TO DO WHEN WE GOT OUT. WISHED EACH OTHER LUCK. MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT PLAYING CARDS. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WERE ALL NERVOUS AND WONDERING JUST WHAT WE WERE GOING TO ENCOUNTER ON THE OTHER SIDE.

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). ONE RUMOR ABOARD OUR L.C.M. WAS THAT OUR OUTFIT WAS TO TAKE CHERBURG AND THEN WE WOULD BE RELIEVED AND RETURN TO THE STATES. WHICH WAS STRICKLY A RUMOR.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name DOMENICK L. MAGRO

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO. BUT I REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED AND THE CONFUSION

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day ? YES.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? YES. WE TALKED ABOUT [crossed out][illegible][end crossed out] OUR BEING PROBABLY CASUALTIES AND IF WE SURIVIED AND MET THE RELATIVES OF THOSE WHO DIDN'T SURVIVE WE WOULD GIVE THEM THEIR FINAL MESSAGES.

Were you wounded? YES. I WAS INJURED IN ACTION.

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? I REMEMBER NOTHING AS I RECEIVED A HEAD INJURY AND SUFFERED A TEMPORARY AMNESIA AND WOKE UP IN A HOSPITAL THE NEXT DAY WITH A BEAUTIFUL HEAD ACHE.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? YES, AFTER WE WERE BRIEFED ABOUT THE LANDINGS ONE OF THE MEN IN THE SQUAD TWISTED HIS ANKLE, AND FOR SECRUITY REASON'S HE WAS NOT PERMITTED TO GO [crossed out]HOS[end crossed out] TO THE HOSPITAL AND HAD TO MAKE THE LANDING WITH US. OF COURSE HE STAYED ON THE HALF TRACK ALL DURING THE LANDINGS. WE SWEATED HIM OUT DURING THE LANDING. LATER WHEN HE WAS TREATED AND O.K. WE ALWAYS LOOKED BACK AT THE INCIDENT AND LAUGHED. ONE L.C.M. CAUGHT ON FIRE DURING THE NIGHT JUST BEFORE WE WENT IN. RIGHT AFTER WE HEARD PLANES COMING OUR WAY. WE THOUGHT THEY WERE NATZI'S BUT THEY WERE OURS. BOY DID WE SWEAT.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? HEROIC'S WERE A DIME A DOZEN. IT WAS VERY SAD TO SEE PARATROOPER'S WHO JUMPED DURNING THE NIGHT WHOSE CHUTES TANGLED IN THE TREES AND WERE SHOT UP DANGLING IN THE BREESE. ONE G.I STEPPED ON A MINE AND IT TORE HIS LEG RIGHT OFF THE DOCTOR WITH US SAID HE WOULD DIE WITHIN THE HOUR BUT GAVE HIM MORPHINE SHOTS TO EASE HIS PAINS. BUT HE LIVED ABOUT SIX HOURS DURING WHICH TIME HE WAS BEGGING FOR HELP. JUST BEFORE HE DIED, HE CALLED TO HIS MOTHER AND SAID QUOTE. "MOTHER [crossed out]NONE[end crossed out] NO ONE WILL HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME MOTHER, YOU'VE ALWAY'S HELPED ME BEFORE," AND HE DIED CALLING HIS MOTHER. I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name DOMENICK L MAGRO

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? YES. THE FIRST NIGHT ON THE BEACH AREA G.I.'S WERE CONTINUELLY LIGHTING CIGARETTES IN THE DARK WHICH WAS VERY STUPID. ONE SQUAD SPOTTED A GERMAN RECON PATROL AND THEY ALL FIRED AT THE LEADER AS A RESULT THE[crossed out]Y ALL[end crosssed out] REST ALL GOT AWAY PROBALLY WITH THE INFORMATION THEY STARTED AFTER.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? ABOARD H.M.S. RODNEY ON THE ENGLISH CHANNEL ON OUR WAY TO UTAH BEACH.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? ST. MARTIN DE VARREVILLE ON UTAH BEACH.

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?

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.

P.S. I WILL BE AVAIBLE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH MR RYAN.

Cornelius Ryan

Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

June 30, 1958

Mr. Domenick L. Magro 14 Evanston Place Buffalo 20, New York

Dear Mr. Magro:

Thank you very much for your letter and for your willingness to help us with Cornelius Ryan's book about D-Day. I hope you will forgive the delay in replying to your kind offer of assistance; we are gratified, but somewhat overwhelmed, by the wonderful response which we are getting as a result of our requests for information.

During the next few months, both in this country and in Europe, Mr. Ryan will be interviewing many of the D-Day participants who agree to contribute to the book. Very probably, he will wish to talk with you during that period. In the meantime, since we are dealing with so many people, we have found it neces- sary to develop an individual file on each person who agrees to help us. Therefore, we hope you will complete the enclosed record and return it to me at your earliest convenience. We truly believe that these questions will serve you, as well as us, if they can ehop to crystallize some hazy memories and to indicate the start of information which we are seeking.

I should be most grateful to know as soon as possible when and if you will be available for interview. We want very much to tell the story of your unit, and in order to do that we need the personal accounts of the men who were there. We particularly look forward to your reply.

Sincerely yours,

Frances Ward Research Department

FW:LL Enclosure