"As we landed, enemy fire peppered the ramps as they were lowered to allow my men to disembark and cross the 200 yards of open beach. The German pillboxes and machine-gun nests were laying a vicious crossfire. Many men were cut down as they left the landing craft.
Some men climbed over the sides trying to avoid enemy fire. Some drowned while others shed the equipment and swam to shore. Those who reached shore started running across the beach through heavy machine-gun crossfire, mortars, and artillery fire. I lost many young soldiers who joined my company right before the invasion in England.
After reaching the bluff, I began to reorganize my Company. I had approximately 125 men left of the 200 I started with.
As I was directing my men to attack, I was hit and knocked down by enemy fire. My right leg was gushing blood. A piece of shrapnel from an anti-tank grenade had severed the main artery.
A medic came to my assistance, applied a tourniquet and told me to remain on the beach and I would be evacuated after dark.
I stayed on the beach the entire day under cover of the bluff and witnessed the successive waves of our troops cut down by the savage crossfire laid down by the Germans. By dusk, the beach was covered with dead and wounded soldiers. You could hardly walk the beach without stepping on the body of a dead or wounded soldier.
I sent some men to the low water mark to carry the wounded or dead off the beach towards the bluff so that they would not be carried out to sea with the tide change. It was the last order I ever gave.
I cannot adequately express the pride I feel for the actions of my men on that terrible day. – Capt. John R. Armellino, L Co., 16th Inf. Reg, 1st ID, Omaha Beach 06.06.44 #dday #reality #ww2 #stayzero #zerofoxtrot