(Dal Estes - Tracks Across Europe)
Almost immediately the next morning (June 7), Walt Allen and Jim Shelton, after checking that we were in good shape - went reconnoitering for live food. K-rations and C-rations were OK, but soldiers want the real thing when they can get it....such as eggs, potatoes, chickens, rabbits and greens. Tommy Milos, of course, was more interested in a woman, and it did not take him too long to locate something to his liking. Corporal Louie Worocek, in charge of the second squad, and I discussed our position and we made improvements. Corporal Ralph Davis of my squad, checked and rechecked our 40 millimeter anti-aircraft gun and also our twin mount 150 caliber machine guns, to be damn certain they would be ready for anything that might come along. We were sniped at a few times as we moved around from a neighboring farm house. We returned the fire with our M-I rifles and the firing stopped.
We stayed in the orchard most of the day until my captain came up about 4:30pm and advised me to move my two squads up to a field overlooking the beach at Vierville sur Mer. I inquired what was up there and he said, "not much - but it's possible a few machine gun nests or snipers". We moved out of the apple orchard and encountered no problem on the short trip to our assigned area. About all of the fields right above the beach were mined, or at least the Germans had stuck the "Achtung Mines" signs in every field to please their inspecting officer - General Rommel.
(Photo below of General Rommel found in the film Dad retrieved on D-Day, now on display at the Musee Memorial D'Omaha Beach - Normandy)
When we reached our assigned area, which was just off the main intersection in Vierville, we started probing for mines with our bayonets. Two soldiers in an adjoining field stepped on a German "Bouncing Betsy" mine, and it mangled them. These were personnel mines consisting of a can of shrapnel set inside another can, and armed with five spider like trip arms which when tripped, blow at shoulder height.
About this time, someone yelled "gas"! There were a lot of worried faces as many of us had dumped our gas masks in England and had loaded the carrying cases with candy and cigarettes. Thankfully it proved to be a false alarm as someone down the beach had lit a large smoke bomb.
We continued to probe our way in the field, getting down on our hands and knees and using our bayonets to see if we hit a mine. We expected both anti-tank as well as personnel mines so we had to be extra careful. If you hit a "Bouncing Betsy" mine you had a good chance to survive if you were on your knees or hit the ground right away when you tripped it, as it was set to blow out sideways at about shoulder height.
We were about halfway into the field on our knees with the half-track inching along behind us when the German artillery starting hitting our field - direct fire was being called down on us from a spotter they had somewhere in Vierville Sur Mer. The artillery was intense and hit right at the crossroads, also killing and mangling screaming French civilians. The first shell missed our half-track, hitting on the right. The next salvo landed on the left and the third hit the rear of the vehicle and caught it on fire.
Since we were off our half-track and had no fox holes to drop into to wait out the salvos of artillery, and with shells continuing to come in on us, we had no time to dig. The half-track was burning and we were stuck in the middle of a mine field. The Tech Sargent (Dawdle) who had joined our group on D-Day, asked me what we should do. Knowing there was only one thing to do - to keep my men alive, I advised everyone to follow behind me. Risking stepping on personnel mines, I led our number one squad to the top of the cliff and over the top to get away from the artillery fire. Just as we reached the crest, a Sgt. Kessen from St. Louis, and from another squad, was hit by artillery in the shoulder. Several others were hit in that same field. We took Sgt. Kessen down the base of the bluff where a First Aid station was set up. Many injured men were there being treated to go back to their units, or waiting to take a landing craft back to a hospital in England.
With my half-track gone and my second squad in good shape, I elected to return to our platoon headquarters, which was in the apple orchard where we had stayed on D-Day.
I was questioned later about this decision, but we could not fight direct artillery fire and our half track was gone. If we tried to dig fox holes in the field we would have been chopped up badly. We figured a strategic retreat at this point would allow us to fight another day. Which proved out to be true.
That evening, D-Day Plus 1, we went the entire distance from Vierville Sur Mer exit to the St. Laurent sur Mer exit, an estimated distance of two miles. After turning Sgt. Kessen over to the Medics operating at the base of the bluff, my squad plus Tech Sgt. Dawdle, walked the entire distance. Many wounded from D-Day and D-Day plus 1 were sitting up against the protection of the bluff. Several thousand bodies were being lined up by collecting companies, and other helpers. Some bodies were still covered where they fell. Most were American GI's, although some were Navy personnel plus German soldiers and French civilians. There were also Canadian and British personnel who got mixed up down in our area and were killed.
The beach was still a mess with burned out landing craft, tanks and all other types of vehicles. By this time the barrage balloons were up and covering the landing zone.
We went back up the St. Laurent exit and reported to our captain. He could readily understand our position and our decision, and asked us to stay with battery headquarters that night and help in setting up a tighter defense of our particular area.
Our group went on to fight through France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and deep into the heart of Germany. None of the battles were as intense as the landing on D-Day.
There were many heroes that day, but none stuck out more in my memory than the actions of Sgt. Herman "Red" Greenlee - the calm, cool and collected Tennessee hill country leader who had taken our battery from raw inductees, to finished soldiers that were ready to land and fight on D-Day. HE was a hero.
Although Red was hit D-Day, he encouraged all of us to "keep going" - "keep moving" up the beach and hang together so we continued to fight as a unit. He was in terrific pain from his injury but he was still in command until the Medics took over. Even then he did not want to leave us, but the wound was too serious to do a patch job. I can still remember him now - motioning us on....to victory on D-Day.
(Dal Estes - Tracks Across Europe)
Present Day:
I've read Dad's manuscript many times, but now having seen these locations with my own eyes, although different from 70 years ago, it's easier for me to understand the distances, and the terrain. One thing I never understood about this entry of his book was how all of this could happen after 4:30 in the afternoon and Dad never mentioned night fall. I get it now. At this time of year it stays light in Normandy until well after 10pm. On this trip to Normandy, we would start dinner at 8pm, finish up at 10:30 and it was still light. I don't know how the French do it!
On the night before D-Day we were invited to a concert given by the Alphretta, Georgia High School Concert Choir and Orchestra. It was a lovely event with both the French and American National Anthems, some classical pieces played and sung, and of course - American patriotic tunes. Although there were far more French citizens in attendance than Americans, they too, clapped and sang along with the songs they knew.
The event was held in the church of Eglise St. Andre, located in Vierville Sur Mer. If you look closely at the steeple of this church, you can tell where the stone has been redone - about half way up. (It's a bit lighter than the other stone).
The story (legend?) behind this particular steeple is that an American Captain, who happened to be Catholic, tried to save it from the fate of destruction. An order was given to destroy all of the steeples and buildings that were high enough to give the Germans look out points, and a French civilian had confirmed a spotter in the location. The Captain, bothered by the dismantling of the churches, asked to be able to go up there and try and take out the spotter first. He made his way to Vierville but was killed in the attempt.
St. Laurent sur Mer, Vierville sur Mer and the entire Omaha Beach area have a quality about them that is hard to describe. Most everyone has a D-Day story, or knows someone who does. Homes and buildings that survived, or homes and buildings that didn't. Personal memories of the day, or handed down through family generations. Stories of survival, bravery and fortitude that defy logic. Normandy isn't just for history buffs, beach lovers or calvados drinkers. Normandy is for anyone who can appreciate all of those magical things but who realize that under the surface, it's the personal stories that give Normandy a soul.
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