Pvt. John Chrismas
My Father-In-Law was on Omaha Beach, First Wave, on D-Day.
He is still very much alive and kicking and lives 20 miles away in Hot Springs Village, AR.
He would not discuss his war years with his daughters, but a few years ago told me and a WWII documentaryist about those days.
His landing craft made it to the beach fine, but others were in flames and had took heavy fire around him. He made it through the obsticles fine, but got hung up under the concrete obsticles under the beach machine guns.
He had lost his M1 Garand Rifle in the surf, and came across a Lieutenant who ordered him to go back and scavange one as quote "you are going to need one today".
He followed a Captain and others up the slope past to take the beach machine guns and shore battery...and when it was time to open fire, only then, in all the chaos, did he notice the M1 had no ammo.
He had made that charge with a rifle that was empty.
He told me he slept that night in a former German slit trench....wet, cold, and with no blanket...and incoming sporatic mortar fire.
He later became a medic after Paris, and was wounded at Hurtegen Forest and sent back to Paris to recouperate, where he became a Sergent of the Guard at the Paris Military Hospital, and then sent home.
He received 3 Bronze Stars.
That's my kids grandad. All he wants to do is fish and do woodworking.
He has never considered himself a hero...
But he is a hero to me.
68ROX
