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-for Cornelius Ryan 2 -
Your name Duquette

association of persons with
happenings would idendtify unit

any chronilogical record of happenings or events
was not permitted.
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day?
No I didn't have time, but remember it all as
though it happened yesterday (diary was against reg's)

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or
during the day? Yes. Lt. Richards, William. KIA. Beach,
first wave.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became
casualties? no personel contact that day

Were you wounded?
not on the beach- later in Belgium & Germany.

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?
no p aint at once, to scared to feel it. I
guess.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? Yes, one time while
taking cover from enemy machine gun and mortar
fire, I deliberately stopped to pick up a fountain pen
which I saw lying in the road. Apon reaching cover
inspection of item in question showed it to be
only the case. (still have it.) what made me stop I
will never know.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck
you more than anything else? Our own dead floating in rolling
surf and tangled in barbed wire, signal men
dead and still in linemens belt hanging
on pole. All American dead and wounded,
no enemy seen until about 1/4 mile in from
water. (fright that accompanied all men
even to the point of forgetting to load
rifles.) unidentified man attempt to save a
wounded driver of a 1500 gal gasoline
tanker which was hit and on fire, truck ex-
pleded. Destroyed rescuer & rescued plus several
other. He knew he didn't have a chance, but still
went on.