A Tribute to Travis Wilton Allen

Travis Wilton Allen was a young 17 year old seaman from  Ft. Meade Florida aboard LCI(L)489 on D-day.  When the commanding officer, Harry Montgomery tried to beach the LCI at Easy Red, Omaha Beach, he wasn't able to land right up on the beach because of a sandbar.  Montgomery saw what was happening around him with the other LCI's and saw soldiers going under and not surfacing because of the weight of their gear.

He ordered Allen to prepare a lifeline rope.  Allen tied an anchor to the end of the rope and buried it on the beach.  The other end was secured to the LCI.  Thus a lifeline was created to allow the soldiers to hold onto and make their way to the beach. Futher, Allen, on his own initiative, brought injured soldiers from the beach to the safety of the LCI throughout June 6 and 7, 1944 where they could be treated by one of the three pharmacist mates: James Argo, Burton Hockel and Harold Kadle. Allen did this without regard to his own life, in the constant fire of German guns. My father did not understand how Allen survived on June 6, 1944.   Many of the men treated were able to return to the beach.  Others were transfered to hospital ships.  Travis Allen died April 1985 from a heart attack. His family found this website in April, 2002 and it was the first they knew of his bravery on D-day.

June 7, 2001 National LCI Annual Meeting, Reno NV

L to R: Evelyn VanBlake, widow of Commander Benjamin VanBlake; Bill McCone, Communications Officer; Karl Bischoff, Motor Machinist Mate; Glen Neikirk, Quartermaster, Mary Argo, widow of pharmacist mate James Argo and seated is Chuck Phillips, Engineering Officer.

Thank you for visiting my Photo Album. I invite you to sign my guestbook.  Thank you. Lee Rawlinson

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