大象传媒

Preparation
We were briefed quite early but no location, time, or place was ever mentioned. Security was very tight. We were not to talk to any one and our letters were checked for security purposes. We were sent to a waterproofing course for the engines and the paste we used was just like plastecene that we had used in school only different ingredients.
We would take a piece and roll it out flat and wrap it around the wires, spark plugs, distributor and other parts and then test them in the ocean. One morning I was called out and taken to brigade headquarters to meet a fellow from the North Novas. We were both machine fitters and were to go to South Hampton to a factory to make parts for racks to hold Geri-cans of gas to fit between the box and the cab of the trucks. They had a blueprint of it so we counted the number of pieces to make one bracket. The length of the pieces were different, so we made five hundred pieces of each length. The welding was done by some of the women in the shop. The people in the shop were so friendly it was just like a holiday, except for the ten-day time frame for completion. Upon completion of our job we went back to our respective regiments. Our group of fitters then went with one of the rifle companies to a place on the edge of Southampton. It was big field that was fenced and guarded. In the morning we had to run around the inside of the fence then they paired us off, gave us a pair of boxing gloves to spare with till we were tired. Then the next pair took over.

The Crossing of the English Channel and Landing
Then on the evening of June fourth, we marched onto the boat and went out into the channel. We were to cross the English Channel and land at Benne Sumer near Corsailes. The waves were very high and word came that landing was postponed until the sixth, so we went back to shore and had supper. We were under guard at all times and returned to the boat after supper. The next morning we were all given an inspirational leaflet from the supreme headquarters written for this purpose by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Then we got word to proceed. Out in the channel there was a lot of smoke and boats all over. As we were landing, the propeller of our landing craft hit a mine but no one was hurt. The landing craft was going fast enough that although it did not have any propeller left, it made it close enough to shore for us to disembark. A sailor pulled a rope to shore and we just got in line and followed the rope down the gang -plank into the water and onto the shore. The water was up to our waists and we had to step over the casualties. On the shore I asked an officer what I should do, as I was to be at de-water proofing the trucks at a prearranged place. He said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry just come along with us.鈥� We were to meet the truck inland a ways. We went through a small town. A lady came out and gave the advance soldiers a drink out of a bottle and slipped back into the inn. We moved on and our trucks caught up to us. We got in the trucks and waited for the tank that would set off the mines and clear the roads. It had arms sticking out in front with a shaft connecting them and lengths of logging chain connected to the shaft that rotated. We followed them until we got to where we were to de-water proof the trucks, as the protective coating was only to be on a few hours.

The Advance
After we finished our job of de-waterproofing the trucks, we became the back up for the advance meaning it was our job to repair and get vehicles working that were mortared or shot during the advance. In other words, our job was to keep the mechanical equipment working for the soldiers on the front which was not very far away. The first chance we had after de-water proofing the trucks, we dug a slit trench (a hole about five feet long, two feet wide and four feet deep). We were digging slowly and were about a foot and a half deep when bullets started to fly about knee high. We looked at each other and I said, 鈥淟et鈥檚 put our heads in the hole and lay flat.鈥� After the shelling was over we finished the trench quickly. At night we took turns on guard, changing every two hours. It made the nights very long. There were two motorcycles that had been hit by mortar shells. I pushed them on each side of my trench and made one out of the two. It took me a long time as I was jumping into my trench whenever shells come down. The platoon moved on and I was told to follow when I finished work on the motorcycle. I had quite a time finding the platoon after fixing the motorcycle.
One night about five of us were called to pull one of our big guns that had been hit into our camp. We needed parts for the other guns. It was scary getting out with a rope to pull it in. One of the wheels had been hit and the bearings were broken. We could barely move it but finely made it.
One night we were shelled and one of the trucks was hit in the dash. In the morning, an officer came and asked me if I could fix it. I told him it looked like mostly light wires were damaged and if I taped them up, they should be okay. He asked the corporal if I should go ahead. He said not to so they unloaded the ammunition and left the truck there. That evening things were quiet so the driver of the damaged truck and myself picked up some tools and a roll of tape and went back to get the truck. I hooked up the wires and taped them together and started the truck and drove it back to our platoon.
We were in the middle of a heavy counter attack. When it was over, I was just shaking and lost my voice completely. The officer came over to me and asked what the password was for tonight. I could not answer him. I could not speak and I could not remember it. I never felt so useless in my life. After an hour or so, my trembling stopped and gradually my voice came back. Things were quiet for a few days.

The Advance Was Over for Me
Then one morning they told me I was going back to a holding unit at the beach. When I got there I found a vacant trench, an old peace of tarp. and few pieces of wood. I covered the top of the trench and slept two or three days finally I got hungry and went back on parade. They were calling for volunteers for de-waterproofing a big park of vehicles that was landed for reserves after the initial advance. It took about three days to clean them up. We cleaned out some houses at the beach for rest stops. One day, I volunteered to dig graves. There were so many of them. I went out to mobile repair shop as a tank mechanic. I was to take the radiator off a tank because it was leaking. I went under the tank took out the bolts and crawled back out. Standing at the side of the tank was my cousin. It was his tank. Imagine running into a relation of yours from near your hometown in the middle of all this turmoil! The work stopped. We had to have a talk. It was a good thing we had that conversation because later he was killed in action in France.
Finally, I was transferred to the 1st advance base workshop at Beayeu, France which was the workshop that I had originally been assigned to.

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