Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 015, folder 05: Joseph William Carlo

CARLO, Joseph William Release Amph US Navy Medical Unit Omaha CAL [Crossed out] HA 1 [End crossed out] Box 15, #5

OMAHA US NAVY, AMPHIBIOUS FORCES MEDICAL UNIT LST 288

Hospital corpsman

DESCRIPTION OF LST's MEDICAL SET UP Our small medical unit had two doctors and about 20 hospital corpsmen. An emergency operating room had been constructed on the Tank Deck where hundreds of men received expert and immediate surgery. The bulkheads of the interior portion of the ship were rigged with canvas stretche to receive the wounded directly from the fighting areas. The bow doors of the LST open to let trucks, tanks and men disembark rapidly. Our casualties were brought in through these doors.

CARE OF THE WOUNDED AND DYING We were immediately swamped with seriously wounded men and I recall not having any rest for three days. One one trip we picked up many oil soaked and mangled survivors of a ship that had struck a mine and sank rapidly. During this rescue, we worked for hours trying to save mangled, tortured bodies that had been [crossed out]pck[end crossed out] picked out of a dark cold water. Some had lost an arm or a leg; some lhad severe head wounds, charring flash burns, mutilating shrapnel cuts. Other were emotionally shocked by violence and death and were depressed. We cut their uniforms from them; with soothing emulsion we tried as gently as possible to remove dirt and oil from scalding burns and raw cuts. Sulfanilamide powders, sulfadiazene tablets, tetanus shots were our miracle drugs. One lad had lost both legs, exposing two gory jagged stumps which I hurriedly wrapped with reams of gauze bandage to arrest the flow of blood. Then a giant fellow, a corpsman lay beside him to give him a blood transfusion. With a needle in the sailor's arm, one in the woulnded man's, the doctor made a moble but futile attempt to save the boy's life. In this dimly lit cavern-like hospital crowded with blood-soaked men, our little medical group fought death. There was the pungent smell of rot ten gangrene, fuel oil, sand, sweat, ether, vomit. These were brave men, who anxiously endured all. Men can be hurt other than by sword, bullets, or hot flying steel. One smooth-skinned youth in soiled battle dress was one of these. His brown eyes stared endlessly and his dry lips curled away and he trembled. At the sight of fire -- even a match to light a cigarette -- he threw himself upon the deck, trying to dig a hole to hide in. His fingers were bruised and torn. He had been in an antitank crew and had seen five of his buddies killed alongside him.

I was almost 19 years old.

About the surgeon One was a Hebrew, a fine, capable and resourceful doctor. He performed outstanding surgery under the most adverse condit tions aboard a jogging, rolling, flat-bottomed boat. Some of our casualties were Germans, who soon discovered that this man who held their lives in his hands was a Jew. He gave them the same care and concern that he gave the Americans. It was a noble example that he set for us: A Jew treating kindly soldiers of an enemy nation that had destroyed 6 millions of his race.

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 ? Joseph William Carlo

What was your unit and division ? Amphibious Forces, U.S. Navy, Medical Unit, L.S.T. 288

Where did you arrive in Normandy , and at what time ? 6 June, Omaha Beach Head, 4 hour minus -

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Hospital Corpsman

What was your age on June 6 , 1944? 19 years old Were you married at that time? single What is your wife's name? - Did you have any children at that time ? NoWhat do you do now? I am a Chaplain in U.S. Navy, Ltjq. USNR attached to escort Squadrons Eleven, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Our unit left Boston, Mass., 4 Feb. 1944 for London Derry, Ireland, at which time we knew of our ultimate operation.

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? Conditions were crowded, men were nervous and aprehensive, last minute details were checked and a message read from Pres. Roosevelt. Most men carried pocket Testaments or Rosaries. Everyone was weighed down with gear: gas masks, life belts, medical aid pouches, etc. We knew the casualties would be heavy and our unit was prepared to receive wounded immediately.

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). Our big fear was gas war fare, for which we had received special training at Fowey, England. Medics were given courses in the care of gas-casualties and decontamination. Upon actual invasion, however, gas protection gear was discarded and it was one of the Normandy sights - a mass of abandoned masks.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name J. W. Carlo

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? diaries were forbidden!

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? No -

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties?

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?

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time?

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Our convoy stopped at Halifax, Nova Scotia where I purchased a Rodeheaver Hymnal. During the long cold (30 days) trip over to Ireland, a group of us sang the old hymns in nightly sessions down our compartment. Those hymn - sings are some of my cherished - good - memories of those days.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name 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?

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? On board LST 288, nearing the invasion grouping

Where wher you at midnight on June 6, 1944? LST 288, anchored of shore Normandy our tank deck loarded with wounded.

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.

Cornelius Ryan

Frances Ward Research, The Reader’s Digest

Redc 4/28

ESCORT SQ. 11 Fleet Post Office San Francisco, California

NS128/JWC:gna 23 April 1958

Miss Frances Ward The Reader's Digest 230 Park Avenue New York, New York

Dear Miss Ward:

This letter is in response to the news item which I read in a recent issue of Navy Times, 16 April 1958.

During the months prior to and throughout the Normandy Invasion, 6 June I944, I was a Hospital Corpsman aboard the LST 288 which was one of the first group of ships to reach the Omaha beachhead early that morning of 6 June. Since we were unable to beach the ships, we unloaded the troops and cargo of war equipment on to smaller craft which were able to penetrate the obstacles hidden along the shore; but on our other trips to the landing area we beached the ship directly on the shore. I was assigned to a small medical unit, which was composed of two medical doctors and about twenty hospitalmen. An emergency operating room had been constructed on the Tank Deck, where in succeeding trips to Normandy hundreds of men received expert and immediate surgery. The bulkheads (sides) of the interior portion of the ship, were rigged with canvas stretchers to receive the wounded directly from the fighting areas. The bow doors of the LST open allowing trucks, jeeps, tanks, and men to disembark rapidly on to the beach. In like manner the first casualties were rushed to our improvised hospital to receive immediate medical care. The LST made many trips between the beachhead and Plymouth, England, where the casualties were transferred to permanent hospitals.

The events of these days are difficult to recall, in many ways, for we hospitalmen were immediately swamped with seriously wounded men; and I recall not having had any rest for periods of three days at a time. The great fear we all had was the return trip to England, for many ships had already been sunk by German mines. On one return trip we picked up many oiled soaked and mangled survivors of a ship that had struck a mine and sank rapidly. If our LST, had been so unfortunate, it would have been utterly impossible to save our helpless human cargo of bandaged bodies, plaster envelopped limbs, sightless eyes, warped minds, and some from whom the breath of life had been taken away.

One episode has remained indelibly in my mind. During this rescue of men from the sunken ship, we worked for hours trying to save mangled, tortured bodies that had been picked out of a dark cold watery engulfment. Some had lost an arm or a leg; some had severe head wounds,