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Continued on Page 15McVlunn said. “At night your hoots would freeze to the ground and in the morning you'd have to take your bayonet and pry them loose. We didn't have heaters.In earlv 1944. his outfitwmoved to Southampton where the invasion forces were assembling. Promoted to buck sergeant, he helped waterproof vehicles and made training landings whileWthey waited for the word to invade.Everyone was getting edgy •**about the invasion, not knowing exactly when they would push off. Waiting was the worst part. On Mav 31. thev were ordered toboard ship.“We loaded up and sat in the bay for three davs. McMunnwsaid. “The weather turned bad. Then we pulled out into the bay on June 5 and started moving out sometime after midnight. The only thing 1 remember about it was the chaplain came aboard with Col. Barksdale, who wasaccompanied by his white bull dog. and he told us where we were going and what to expect and wished us well.McMunn had a dangerous assignment once thev landed at Omaha Beach.“Our job was to go in and hit the beaches and clear the mines and obstacles and clear lanes for the troops to come in. he said.It was early morning on D-Dav. when McMunn s landing ■/craft bucked across the rough waters headed for the French coast. Had he known that 4.649 Americans would be casualties bv the dav's end. it wouldn't havej ymade any difference. There wasJno turning back. It was do or die.Morning light was creeping up from the eastern horizon. McMunn squinted toward the coast and barelv saw its outline•zagainst the light of exploding shells. It appeared the whole earth was on fire, ignited by the flames of 10.000 guns.Ed McMunn, a World War II and KEd McMunn as he looked during his military days.
Newspaper Details
Athens News Courier
Athens, Alabama, US
Sun, Feb 18, 2001
Page 44
Full Page
Clipped by
Deborah S.
USA 27 Dec 2022
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