Omaha Beach, June 1944
By James Roland Argo
Nov. 2000
I am 79 years old and for years tried to forget the pain and suffering I witnessed in World War II, particularly June 6th and 7th, 1944. However, in my advanced age I guess I am getting nostalgic. When I read Karl Bischoff's story, I decided to tell you about my memories on LCI (L) 489 at Omaha Beach on June 6th and 7th of 1944. I hope that my story may answer questions that others might have had about their loved ones.
Background:
First, let me give you a little background about myself. I was born and reared in Gadsden, Alabama. I was only 17 when I misrepresented my age and joined the Alabama National Guard. I served in Guntersville, Alabama, Jacksonville, Florida, and Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. When we were inducted into the Federal Army in 1940, all of us guys who had misrepresented our age were given a COG (Convenience of the Government) discharge and sent home. By then I was nineteen and old enough to enlist. My cousin Joseph R. Erwin and I joined the Naval Reserve. My first assignment was at Balboa Park, San Diego. I attended Hospital Corps School in San Diego where I received my Hospital Apprentice Certificate of Graduation on May 21, 1942. After that, I served in Pensacola, Florida at the U.S. Naval Hospital. Then I was stationed at TTSA (Transition Training Squadron Atlantic Fleet) in Norfolk, Virginia. I was one of the first twelve men assigned to what later became the U.S. Naval Amphibious Training Station at Solomon's Island, Maryland. I literally was one of the first 12 men. When I got there, I thought somebody had played a joke on me. No one and nothing else was there. I spent the night in my hammock. In the morning some other men arrived and I knew it wasn't a joke. Some of the other Pharmacist Mates on Solomon's Islands with me were Charlie Sanders, Nils Snelling, James P. Hornsby, Roscoe Brannon, George Van Amburg, Gunn, my cousin Joe Erwin, and Phillip whose last name I can't remember. Eleven other Pharmacist Mates and myself received an additional period of intensive training in Portsmouth, Virginia related to combat injuries. This training was specifically in preparation for D-day. This training was exactly right on target. We didn't know at that time that it was in preparation for D-day. I learned that later. Pharmacist Mates took the place of physicians on small landing craft such as LCIs. Our group of Pharmacist Mates (Number 28) traveled in convoy across the Atlantic in 1942 on LCIs numbered 487 through 492. I was on LCI (L) 489. I got my medical supplies at Little Creek before leaving. Roscoe Brannon came later on LST 505, which served as a medical evacuation ship. Most of the memos I received were signed by J Zoole, Surgeon, Lt. Comdr., U.S.P.H.S.
LCI (L) 489:
I served as Pharmacist Mate 1st class for LCI 489. I was the ship's "Doc". The Navy prepared us well for war. As Pharmacist Mate, I received extensive training on wound care, shock treatment, bullet/shrapnel removal, setting fractures, control of bleeding, trauma treatment, stitching, treatment of infectious diseases, dressing and bandaging wounds, chemical warfare first aid, etc. Onboard, everybody got immunizations. I gave typhus fever vaccine every 6 months, typhoid fever every 12 months, tetanus booster as needed, yellow fever every 24 months and small-pox every 6 months. I also served as Chemical Warfare Representative, and Lend-Lease Representative. I completed the required communicable disease reports and sanitary reports. Our commanding officer was H. H. Montgomery, Lieutenant USNR. As I recall, our LCI ship's complement included four officers and between 25-28 enlisted men. Around May 1944 we brought on two additional medical men in preparation for D-Day. These men were Burton H. Hockel, PhM1/C NR, and Harold Alvin Kadle, Hospital Apprentice 2/C. I set these men up in the sick bay to give IVs and plasma. Approximately two weeks before the Normandy Invasion, our LCI was quarantined as a precaution.
My recollection is that our LCI and 5 other LCIs among LSTs, and LCMs pulled up to Omaha Beach just at daybreak on Jun. 6, 1944. Actually, our LCI didn't land up on the beach, which was the goal of LCIs. We hit an obstacle in the water and were not able to get right up on the beach. Chuck Phillips would know the details on that. There was a sandbar and we could not have made it up on the beach anyway. I was on the bridge/conning tower with Lt. Montgomery, Neikerk and Wilson. Another man was on the bridge, too, but I can't remember who it was. Lt. Montgomery was surveying where he wanted to direct fire. Suddenly all hell broke out. Montgomery yelled, "Get off the bridge" and we abandoned the bridge immediately. The German bunkers that were supposed to have been blasted out in an air raid weren't. Fire started coming from everywhere. To make things worse, the water was very rough. We carried men from the 1st Division (the Big Red One) to Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.
Wood timbers/cross ties and barbed wire were attached to mines. One of the first things I remember seeing just before all hell broke out was a couple of dead men draped over these obstacles in the shallow water. Later I learned that these men were sent in to clear and mark channels for other landing craft and us. The fighting on the beach seemed to be the most horrendous for the first 5-6 hours. It eased up a little around what I thought seemed like lunchtime, but the shelling continued for two days. You should have seen my helmet. I wish I had saved it for my kids to see. I was told that the Germans wouldn't aim fire directly at men in the Red Cross helmets. A few hours into battle, I took my helmet off because I was certain they were aiming right at that Red Cross. I guess the German's figured for every hospital corpsman they took out, the more overall casualties there would be. Dead corpsmen can't save lives.
