It was about 8 o'clock a.m. when our squad was loaded up into an LVT. Our squad consisted of about 15 of us, most of them being very close to me.
When we were getting close to the beach we noticed that the enemy fire was
growing greater and greater. It almost seemed as if they were only trying
to hit our squad. Capt. Sam Marsh, the leader of the squad, was
announcing
to us all the strategies to entering the beach and getting up on to the
shingle. As he was speaking I heard a very loud, high-pitched whistle.
Just then I knew what was coming. Our LVT just blew up out of the sea. I then knew that this was it. When I finally got to the surface I knew that I was very lucky to have survived with little more then a broken wrist and a bumped-up head. I swam to the pier as fast as I could, avoiding enemy gunfire. Once I reached the pier I realized I know had to be careful, for the Japs had snipers everywhere.
I was later found by other marines who brought me back to the gunships
by LVT. I am so grateful to be alive; I also am so very sorry for those
families who have lost loved ones in action.
Pcf. Stanly Montgomery