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Last Eyewitnesses, World War II Memories, D-Day to 70th Anniversary
Last Eyewitnesses, World War II Memories, D-Day to 70th Anniversary was written to preserve the last personal voices of the truly great soldiers that went ashore at Normandy on June 6, 1944 or shortly thereafter. Soon, all these brave men will pass to another time and place. We believe that these men should never be forgotten. Their personal memories must be preserved. We interviewed 14 of these common soldier heroes. Paratroopers, glider pilots, artillery men, medics, dog soldiers, and even a sailor who witnessed Rangers storming the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc were personally interviewed. The Interviewees ranged in age from 88 to 93 and to a man, each had some profound stories to tell. Those landing on the beaches have burning memories of the great armada of ships and vessels in the avenging invasion of Normandy. They remember the carnage of bodies on the beaches. I asked one of our Interviewees, George Pulakos to describe his experiences on the beach. GEORGE PULAKOS: They kept me on the beach, I could swim. I was a swimmer and I would recover bodies. We were stacking them like cord wood on the beach. For years I’ve carried horrific images in my head of all the bodies on the beach. They were stacked like cord wood, 4 and 5 feet high. Four of those interviewed have already died since our interviews of just a few months ago. We interviewed Eugene Meier October 30, 2013; he died 17 days later on November 16, 2013 at age 90. We interviewed Percy Scarborough November 22, 2013; he died 25 days later on December 17, 2013 at age 88. We interviewed Jack Carver December 1, 2013; he died 38 days later on January 8, 2014 at age 90. We interviewed Harold Powers December 9, 2013; he died 23 days later on January 1, 2014 at age 92. This book is indeed about the last eyewitnesses’ memories. We begin this heroic, terrible, terrible war story in 1939. That was when the European war really started. That is when Germany invaded Poland forcing Britain and France declared war on Germany. Many books have been written about World War II, but most have concentrated on well known leaders and celebrated heroes. We wanted to tell the story through the eyes and memories of the common soldier. We present their memories in their own words because we want you to be able to sense their emotions, their struggles to recall and find words to describe their memories and perhaps their states of frail health. Being able to read their own words will hopefully help you to detect their enthusiasm for this project to preserve their memories. We must confess that, at times in the interviews, we got a bit emotional. The interviews were so very visual that we could see the bodies floating in the waters at the beaches. We could see our soldiers falling in the hedgerows and roads of the country side. We could see our soldiers when they were captured and marched long distances in severe weather. We could almost hear the gunfire and smell the gunpowder. We could see the horrors of the German concentration camps. Hopefully you will experience these same emotions as you read this book. We present the then and now photographs of the 14 interviewees. Oscar L. Russell was born November 1923 and enlisted in the US Navy in 1943 becoming a Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class. He was in the first wave of landing crafts to hit Omaha Beach at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Mr. Russell made it to the beach and stayed there for 28 days giving aid and removing bodies. Among his various citations he was awarded the French Legion Medal of Honor and the Presidential Unit Citation. Bradford C. Freeman was born September 24, 1924 and enlisted December 12, 1942. He was assigned to Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Division which was depicted in Tom Hanks’ movie Band of Brothers. Mr. Freeman parachuted behind the enemy lines of Utah Beach at about 1:00 a.m. on June 6, 1944. He was later wounded and received the Purple Heart. Mr. Freeman earned many medals: Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf, Europe Campaign with four Stars and one Arrowhead, WWII Victory, Army Occupation, Germany, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, 60 year WWII Anniversary, D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, Overseas Service, Combat Service, French Normandy, Defense of the Americans, French Liberation, Austria Liberation, Belgium Liberation, Dutch Cross, Victory in Europe, Army Good Conduct and the American Campaign. William D. Fasking was born February 24, 1922 and enlisted June 6, 1940 in the Air Force and became a glider pilot. He flew a Horsa glider with 13 troops and a trailer load of ammunition, landing south of St. Mere Eglise on D-Day. Fasking was promoted to First Lieutenant on September 29, 1944. He served in Normandy, the Ardennes and in Central Europe. He participated in Operation Varsity, which was the last major airborne operation of World War II. He was awarded many medals including the Air Medal with two Oak Clusters, European Theater Ribbon and the French Legion Medal of Honor. Earnest Bernard Wallace was born January 13, 1920 and enlisted in 1942 as a paratrooper and was assigned to Fox Company, 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division. He jumped behind enemy lines shortly after 1:00 AM. June 6, 1944 and cut himself loose from his parachute at 1:20 AM. He was injured twice. He received shrapnel wound while in Normandy and was hit in the face and chipped front tooth in Holland. He was awarded the Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars and the French Legion Medal of Honor. Harold F. Powers was born September 9, 1921 and drafted September 1942. He volunteered for paratroopers and was assigned to the 501st PIR 101st Airborne Division jumping early in the morning on D-Day. Mr. Powers was captured later that day and was a POW until Germany surrendered about 11 months later. He was awarded the French Legion Medal of Honor, World War II Victory Medal, European-Africa-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, and two Bronze Stars. [Interviewed December 9, 2013; died 23 days later on January 1, 2014.] Jack Carver was born May 19, 1923 and drafted in 1943. He was assigned as an Air Force flight engineer and flew in a C-47 aircraft that dropped paratroopers the night of D-Day. He received many medals including Air Medal (plus two Bronze Clusters), Presidential Unit Citation, Euro-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with one silver star and two bronze), National Defense Service and French Legion Medal of Honor. Mr. Carver made a career in the United States Air Force. [Interviewed December 1, 2013; died 38 days later on January 8, 2014.] B. Eugene Meier was born January 6, 1921 and enlisted in May of 1942. He rose to the rank of First Lieutenant, serving with the 146th Combat Engineer Battalion that waded onto Omaha Beach at H Hour plus 3 minutes with 40 pounds of explosives on their backs to destroy obstacles on the beach. He received a Purple Heart and the ETO Ribbon with five stars, Bronze Arrowhead for the invasion of Normandy, Bronze Star for Hurtgen Forest Battle, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, World War II Victory Medal, Battle of the Bulge Commemorative Medal, D-Day Commemorative Medal, Combat Service Medal, French Medal of Liberation, Czechoslovakia Medal of Military Merit and the French Legion of Honor Medal. [Interviewed October 30, 2013; died 16 days later on November 16, 2013.] Ivy C. Agee was born April 3, 1923 and drafted January 10, 1943. He served in the 111th Field Artillery Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, Battery B during the D-Day invasion. He received several medals including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, European African Mideast Campaign Arrow head with 4 Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, French Croix de Guerre with Palm and French Legion of Honor Medal. James L. Springer was born January 21, 1920 and drafted January 16, 1943. Springer was a Staff Sergeant in the 38th Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts. On June 12th he was shot by a sniper in the right ear and the bullet scraped his scalp. He was able to return to duty and was promoted on July 9th. He was wounded again on September 7, 1944 by shrapnel in the chest and arm from German artillery. He was unable to return to combat after that injury and was discharged from the Army in March of 1945. He was awarded several medals including 2 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Star and French Legion Medal of Honor. Lawrence “Rabbit” Kennedy was born July 5, 1922 and enlisted October 9, 1940. He was assigned to the 83rd Field Artillery, 2nd Battalion, 8th Battery, 71st Artillery Armored Division that joined the combat in Normandy six days after the invasion. In addition to World War II he also served in the Korean conflict and Vietnam. After a 35 year long military career he retired to his home near Amory, Mississippi, as Command Sergeant Major. He is one of the highest decorated veterans in the armed forces. A room in the Amory Museum is devoted to him. Olin Baxter McKee was born June 20, 1923 and drafted January 23, 1943. He was assigned to Battery B, 266th Field Artillery Battalion. Mr. McKee was the youngest man in his company and rose to the rank of First Sergeant He moved heavy artillery onto Omaha Beach 20 days after D-Day. Joseph Ruben Johnson was born May 31, 1925, enlisted October 14, 1943, served in Battery D, 551st AAA Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion. He was in the Normandy invasion, continued through Germany, blew up crematoriums at Dachau, and drove a jeep across Europe transporting arrested SS troops. He received four Bronze Stars and was awarded the French Legion Medal of Honor. George Pulakos was born in December 1922 and enlisted June 6, 1942 and became a surgical technician. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and served as a medic. Later he was saving a wounded soldier when he was hit by shrapnel and lost part of his hand. After extensive surgery and rehabilitation he received a medical discharge in 1945. He received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and French Legion Medal of Honor. After convalescence and discharge from the service Mr. Pulakos continued to work in the surgical supply field until his retirement in 1987. Percy Scarborough was born May 22, 1925 and drafted September 1943. He was attached to H Company, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division. Mr. Scarborough served primarily as a forward observer in a mortar unit. Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, Central Europe. Mr. Scarborough was awarded the Bronze Star and he was also on the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in October 2013. [Interviewed November 22, 2013; died 25 days later on December 17, 2013.]

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