Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 014, folder 21: Armand John Sorriero

PHILADELPHIA 4th Div SORRIERO. Armand Pa 5

Box 14, #21

[crossed out]0745[end crossed out]

12th Inf. Attached to Hq 3rd Bn

Tare Green

Great on Col. Reeder Vive LaFrance on dead men on near dead men

[*U-E*]

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? ARMAND JOHN SORRIERO

What was your unit and division? CO. "L" 12TH INFANTRY 4TH DIVISION ATTACHED TO HDQ CO 3RD BATT

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? UTAH BEACH - 0630

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? P.F.C.

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 23

Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name? ---

Did you have any children at that time? ---

What do you do now? COMMERCIAL ARTIST

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? A WEEK OR SO, BEFORE THE INVASION WE WERE BRIEFED, AND THEREAFTER RESTRICTED TO GROUNDS.

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? TO BE TRUTHFUL, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT WE WERE SO STRONG SO FULL OF MILITARY POWER THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE AN EASY TASK THERE FOR I WAS NOT TOO FEARFUL. AS WE WERE PREPARING TO LAND HOWEVER, I DID HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART. OUR CONVERSATION WAS ABOUT THE PEOPLE BACK HOME, & WHAT THEY WERE DOING AT THIS TIME.

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). BY COINCIDENCE WE HEARD A RUMOR SOMETHING LIKE THE ABOVE, BUT TO THIS EFFECT. THE ENEMY HAD CONTROL OR MADE CLOUDS THAT WERE FLAMABLE, AND WHEN WE WERE INLAND THEY WOULD SET FIRE TO THIS CLOUD OR CLOUDS & ONCE ON FIRE, WOULD SETTLE DOWN ON THE TROOPS. BURNING THEM.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name ARMAND SORRIERO

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO, TO BUSY.

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 THERE WAS ONE BOY WHO WAS HIT BY SHRAPNEL, & HIS EYES WERE VERY GLASSY & HE KEPT REPEATING THAT HE DIDN'T WAN'T TO DIE, & I TOLD HIM HE ONLY HAD A FLESH WOUND, THAT HE WOULD BE ALLRIGHT, AND I KNEW HE HAD THE LOOK OF DEATH, & THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE.

Were you wounded? YES

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 WAS HIT IN THE RIGHT SHOULDER BY SHRAPNEL, MY FIRST REACTION WAS THAT MY NECK & JAW HAD A GAPING HOLE, & I FROZE, I WAS AFRAID TO MOVE.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? YES, COL REEDER WHO WAS OUR REGIMENTAL CO. (AND BY THE WAY, WAS ALWAYS OUT IN FRONT OF THE COMBAT TROOPS,) WHEN HE SAW THE FIRST FRENCH CIVILIANS AT THE BEACH, SHOUTED TO THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS "VIVE LA FRANCE", COL REEDER, LATER ON [crossed out]c[end crossed out] WAS HIT IN THE LEG & LOST IT. -- HE ALMOST SCARED THOSE PEOPLE TO DEATH. -------------CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? YES THE FIRST DEAD SOLDIER I SAW I PICTURED MYSELF. HE WAS IN THE WATER. SNAGGED ON SOME THING & HIS BODY WAS BOBBING UP & DOWN, NO BODY SEEMED TO CARE, "WE WERE ALL FOR OURSELVES" SO TO SPEAK. AND I WON- DERED WHEN OR IF I GOT IT WHAT POSITION I WOULD BE IN.

IN REFERENCE TO AMUSING THINGS

AT ONE TIME COL REEDER OUR REGIMENTAL COMMANDER HAD HIS HANDS FULL AND WE WERE UNDER TERRIFIC FIRE FROM THE ENEMY, SO HE SIGNLED ME OUT AND SHOUTED SOLDIER OVER HERE ON THE DOUBLE.

I RUSHED OVER TO HIM AND HE HANDE ME HIS MAP & SAID STICK CLOSE TO ME WITH THAT MAP, THEN HE SAID BY THE WAY WHAT IS YOUR NAME, I SAID PVT SORRIERO, SIR IMMEDIATLEY HE SAID I'LL CALL YOU MIKE, OK?

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name ARMAND SORRIERO

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. I SAW A SOLDIER PUT A 45 TO HIS TEMPLE, TAKE IT AWAY AND REPEAT THIS DEED, AS IF HE WERE UNDECIDED WHETHER TO SHOOT OR NOT (THIS DEED TOOK PLACE A FEW DAYS AFTER WE LANDED & THE ENEMY HAD BEGUN SHELLING US UNMERCFULLY.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? ON A BOAT, NEAR PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? IN THE HEDGEROWS OF NORMANDY NEAR STE.MERE EGLISE.

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 WALTER ST, JOHN 2366 8TH ST. EAST MEADOWS LONG ISLAND, N.Y.

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 [*5/2/58*] Frances Ward Research, The Reader ’s Digest