Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 014, folder 06: Rudolph S. Mozgo

D-Day Book 4th inf Div. MOZGO, Capt Rudolph S. Ger 6 Release

Box 14, #6 Release to PG

[crossed out] Climbing down & Equipment[end crossed out]

used [crossed out] If I can get in landing barge, half the battle is won[end crossed out]

Sees dead soldiers at water's edge half in, half out & a tank

May use again

[*Frankfurt, Germany FRANKFURT LL GER6*]

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? Rudolph S. Mozgo, Captain

What was your unit and division? "I" Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? I arrived in Normandy at Utah Beach at H-Hour plus 75 minutes (H-Hour was 0630, 6 June 1944).

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? I was a Private First Class on 6 June 1944.

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 25

Were you married at that time? No.

What is your wife's name? Violet Mozgo

Did you have any children at that time? No.

What do you do now? I am on active duty as a Captain in the Quartermaster Corp. My job is Motor Officer in a Quartermaster Battalion. I took a discharge out of the Army in 1945 then came back to active duty in 1950.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? I actually knew that I was going to be part of the invasion on/or about 30 May 1944 when we were moved into the marshalling area in the vicinity of Plymouth, England. Here we were briefed on what was going to take place in the very near future. However most of us had suspected that we were going to (over)

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 across the channel was started on 4 June 1944. Due to rough weather we did not land until 6 June 1944. The reason for the postponement was not found out until much later in the war.

Our conversations, as I recall them, dealt mostly with what it would be like and we felt that if we could get over the side of the L.S.T. and into the smaller assault boats we had half of the battle won. We passed the time by trying to sleep because we figured it would be quite some time before we might get sleep again. We also went to services held by the Chaplain.

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). Rumors on board our boat were of the going home variety. We figured if we made the beach that the war would end in a few weeks time. Even after about two weeks had passed we still believed we were going home soon. We were to find out differently.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Rudolph S. Mozgo

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? I did not keep a diary, however I have a pictorial history book of my regiment from D-day through to the end of the war. I also have a small notebook that I carried with me through the war with the names of some of my squads names (I later-over

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Several of my friends were killed on D-day, also a few were wounded. I recall one friend who made the landing okeh, but as we moved inland a German was taken prisoner and we sent this individual back to the beach with the German. About-over

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? I do not remember any of the conversations we had.

Were you wounded? No.

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? N/A.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? No I do not.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? I recall one incident that sticks in my mind even today. It was my first sight of a dead American. We had moved in from the beach about twenty five yards or so and came across an American tank that had taken a direct hit from an anti- tank gun. An American soldier was half in and half out of the tank; dead. Later, I was to see many more dead, but this sight I think I'll remember forever.

became a platoon sergeant) in them, also a few attack orders.

five months later he reported back to our unit. We had all marked him off for dead, but we found out he had been wounded on the beach when he took the prisoner back and it took five months for his wound to heal.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Rudolph S. Mozgo

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? No.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? I was on an L.S.T. on the English Channel.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? On the outskirts of Ste. Mere Englise.

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? Yes I do, however I have lost contact with these people and do not know where to find them.

My A.P.o. is located at Frankfurt, Germany.

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 4/23/58*] Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest