I almost missed one of the most important adventures of my life; you get only one chance to participate in something as worthwhile, massive and significant as the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

Late on June 5, during a pep rally, I dislocated my shoulder. The medical people wanted me hospitalized. However, I had run too many miles, done thousands of pushups, and sweated out countless hours of training for this adventure, I had no intention of missing it.

I protested so strongly that the medics worked my shoulder into place. A few hours later I was flying over the English Channel in a C-47 with 17 other Hq1 men - we were going to Normandy.   

Our flight to France was relatively quiet until we arrived at the Normandy coastline, then all hell broke out. Low flying clouds, German antiaircraft and machinegun fire, exploding planes, and pilots taking evasive action created an atmosphere of chaos and confusion.

We left our aircraft about 1:30 AM somewhere over Normandy. I landed near our equipment bundle that held a machine gun. I quickly retrieved the gun and met six paratroopers. We seven spent the next days fighting Germans, avoiding large German patrols and trying to find the remainder of Hq1.

Four days later, we approached Hill 30, a 508^th PIR objective, and  join-ed a group of about 40 officers and men. Thereafter, we fought desperate Germans, seized causeways and towns, and collected more 508^th PIR paratroopers.  

On July 13, 1944, the 508th PIR survivors loaded into LSTs and sailed to England. In Nottingham, we received a hero’s welcome, although we left the real heroes in Normandy.

In the next few weeks, we conducted memorial services for the men we lost in Normandy, and held formations to decorate our heroes.  Also, we welcomed and processed replacements.

The 508^th PIR surgeon had not forgotten about my dislocated shoulder. He sent me to a hospital for remedial surgery. He meant well, but the surgery and physical therapy prevented me from parachuting into Holland in September.

I completed the required physical therapy and was returned to duty in time to join Hq1 in Sissonne, France, where it was recuperating and re-building after the Holland campaign.