2002 Letters, Photos and Email

Subj: 6th NBB and SS Mauritania
Date: 2/1/2003 12:53:14 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Nephew of John Chase
To: Ken Davey Dtreefarm@aol.com

Hi Ken,

In your January 28 email, you said your dad sailed from New York on January 6, 1944 on the S.S. Mauritania out of New York City. I've been trying to determine which ship my uncle sailed on. Perhaps it was with your dad on the Mauritania.

My uncle's letters indicated he arrived at Camp Bradford in late November, 1943, for amphibious training. He thought he would be going to Florida for further training, but that didn't happen. He was in Raleigh, N.C. for Christmas (at the home of a sailor friend), and sent my mother a postcard from the Stage Door Canteen on a weekend leave on January 3, 1944. His next V-Mail letter was from England on January 21, and his return address included the unit "AAB 415." The next letter, February 21 had a return address showing his units was "JASCO 414." A V-Mail letter dated April 2 had the return address showing his unit was the "6th Beach BN."

John's obituary indicated that he sailed from New York to England on January 8, but I couldn't find a listing for a ship departing at that time. The only listings I saw in "World War II Ship Crossings" Web page for January 1944 going from New York to England or Scotland were:

January 18, USS George Washington to Liverpool
January 29, Aquitania to Glasgow

The only listing for the Mauritania in January 1944 was a departure on April 5 or 6 from New York to Liverpool.

There's probably a good chance my uncle sailed in early January with your Dad. The timing would be right.

Also, I think I found my uncle's service number: 865-69-50. Do you know if that's the format that was used at that time?

Thanks,

Ken Kingsley

**************************************************************************************************

Subj: 6th NBB Commission Date
Date: 1/28/2003 1:13:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Norm Hartline
To: Head of the 7th NBB Association
CC: Dtreefarm

Dear Sir:

In your history of the 7th BB, you state that the 7th was commissioned on Oct 7, 1943. I don't think this is correct. I graduated from Signal School on July 4, 1943, and had orders to join the 7th Beach Battalion in Camp Bradford shortly thereafter. That would mean, I think, that the 7th was an actively commissioned unit prior to that date. Also we returned from Ft. Pierce on Thanksgiving day, and the communications group were all transferred to the 6th BB. The 6th then shipped out of NY on the Queen Mary on Dec. 23rd 1943.

Norman A. Hartline SM 2/C
6th Naval Beach Battalion

**********************************************************************************
From: Dtreefarm

Hello Norm & Ken,

My friend, Julius Shoulars, wrote in his History of the U.S. 7th Naval Beach Battalion, "In 1943 a group of 10 to 12 men were transferred from Fort Pierce, Florida by train to Camp Bradford, Norfolk, Virginia. A short time later, 14 men were transferred from the 3rd Naval Beach Battalion to Camp Bradford. On October 5, 1943, the two groups of men helped to commission the 7th Naval Beach Battalion. Many men were transferred to the 7th Battalion from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Battalions to form the unit. Most of these men were regular Navy who had obtained rates such as first class Bos'n Mates, Motor Mac's, Carpenters Mates, Pharmacists Mates, and Shipfitters. The Communications men were transferred to the 7th from Communications schools and JASCO Units."

As you are aware, the 7th NBB handled matters in the western sectors of Omaha Beach while the veteran 2nd NBB was assigned to Utah Beach. And, there were a number of transfers shortly before the invasion. John Gallagher has the distinction of winning a Navy PUC with a 1942 beach party, was then in the 7th NBB for a period of time before being transferred into the 6th NBB and winning an Army PUC. John Gallagher and Dr. Davey, platoon C-8, returned from the ETO together on the USAHS Dogwood hospital ship arriving in the United States 19 August 1944.

According to the Army's 5th Engineer Special Brigade and my father's official papers, the following is a brief overview of the Sixth Naval Beach Battalion. I will CC this to other NBB veterans for their comments and corrections.

The 6th Naval Beach Battalion was formed and trained exclusively for OVERLORD, the Allied permanent reentry into Continental Europe. During the month of July 1943, various Navy personnel throughout the United States and overseas received orders to "proceed without delay to Norfolk, Va., and report to the Commanding Officer, Amphibious Training Base, Camp Bradford, Naval Operating Base, for duty with Beach Battalion No. 6, and for duty outside the continental limits of the United States." Under the command of Lieut. Commander Marshall L. Shearer, USNR, personnel of the battalion were assigned to one of four sections: communications, hydrographic, boat repair or medical. As the training progressed, these Navy specialists began to resemble an Army battalion, broken into three companies and nine platoons. Each platoon had a medical doctor and was headed by a Beachmaster and his assistant. After one month at Bradford, the officers and enlisted personnel traveled to Fort Pierce, Florida for intensive amphibious warfare training. On 9 October 1943, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion was commissioned under the command of Lieut. Commander Eugene C. Carusi, USNR, an Annapolis graduate and Washington DC attorney.

At a strength of nearly four hundred men, Commander Carusi and his battalion returned to Camp Bradford, Little Creek, Virginia, near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The USN amphibians remained at Camp Bradford for about two months, during which time joint maneuvers were held with the Army at Solomons, Maryland, men were transferred into the outfit from other units and additional necessary equipment was issued. Later in December 1943, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion departed for the port of embarkation at Lido Beach on Long Island, New York and 5 January traveled overseas on the SS Mauritania, arriving at Liverpool, England 17 January 1944. After several months of amphibious training in Salcombe, on the English Channel coast, the battalion was moved to Swansea, Wales, near Scurlage Castle, and attached to the 5th Engineer Special Brigade for purposes of preparing for and engaging in what was to be the largest amphibious assault in recorded history.

The 6th Naval Beach Battalion elements were attached for the cross-Channel attack as follows:
Company A - 336th Engineer Combat Battalion
Company B - 348th Engineer Combat Battalion
Company C - 37th Engineer Combat Battalion
Headquarters landed with the
37th Engineer Combat Battalion

A platoon of the battalion was attached to each lettered company of the engineer combat battalions. The total strength was 42 officers and 362 enlisted men.

The 6th Naval Beach Battalion was officially attached to the 5th Engineer Special Brigade 12 April 1944 in order to achieve a closer coordination between the Navy afloat and the Army ashore during the invasion landings. On Normandy D-Day, Commander Carusi's Headquarters and Beachmaster Joe Vaghi's C-8 platoon were scheduled to go ashore at 7:35 A.M. in support of the First Infantry Division. The entire Naval battalion had the tasks of providing battlefield medicine for the initial assault troops, establishing shore-to-ship communications, marking sea lanes, making emergency boat repairs, assisting in the removal of underwater obstructions, directing the landings and evacuating the casualties in the Omaha Beach sectors code-named Easy Red, Fox Green and Fox Red. Once ashore, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion would become the vital link between land and sea forces in the St. Laurent-Colleville area of Normandy.

Upon the landing of LCI(L) 88 at 0735 on D-Day, "Battalion Headquarters and Company C found that the 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment was pinned down to the beach by the heavy fire which the enemy was delivering from his emplacements. Members of these units, at the request of the Commanding Officer, 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment moved along the beach under the heavy fire to locate officers so that the Infantry Regiment could be reorganized to attack inland. Other members placed rifle and carbine fire on German machine guns so that patrols could move forward and outflank them."

5th Engineer Special Brigade commander Col. William D. Bridges reported that although several lanes had been opened in the Easy Red sector of Omaha Beach, the Army-Navy gap assault teams, "severely decimated" by the fierce enemy fire, were far behind schedule in clearing the remaining necessary gaps in the beach obstacles. Officers and men of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion "worked side by side with these teams in clearing the obstacles under the heavy fire on the beach. The gaps were frequently interdicted by enemy artillery fire, which caused numerous casualties."

In addition, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion "set up control stations on the beach to direct the landing of craft and salvaged equipment to mark safe lanes of approach. A detail from Company C helped rescue two platoons of infantrymen from the water. These men had debarked in deep water and their load of equipment was pulling many men down. Movement on the beach was made extremely hazardous by the heavy fire and by the large number of mines which had become detached from the obstacles and buried in the sand. In addition to these hazards, there were many burning vehicles along the beach sending showers of projectiles from exploding ammunition and fragments of metal as mines and demolition materials exploded."

Col. Bridges stated, "The medical sections also performed their duties in an especially heroic manner. They collected casualties, gave first aid and evacuated the casualties to landing craft. Groups of casualties on the beach were subjected to heavy concentrations of mortar fire, and craft were under observed artillery fire the entire time they were grounded."

By 1200 hours, the communication sections had established ship-to-shore communication, and in the afternoon had established three nets. Later, however, two of these nets were put out of action by enemy fire as the radio antennae attracted artillery fire.

6th Naval Beach Battalion
Casualties sustained on D-Day:
Killed in action: 4 Officers, 18 Enlisted Men
Wounded in action: 12 Officers, 55 Enlisted Men

Many of the casualties occurred on the LCI(L) 85. The four Battalion officers KIA were Beachmasters. By the end of D-Day, most of Dr. J.R. Davey's C-8 corpsmen had become casualties. The Battalion medical sections suffered a 27% casualty rate and Commander Eugene Carusi was seriously wounded when he received a .30-caliber anti-aircraft shell through the chest during the evening of D+2. Dr. John F. Kincaid, who survived the sinking of LCI(L) 85 and bloody Omaha Beach, was KIA less than a year later in the Pacific Theater.

Col. William D. Bridges concluded his report stating, "The outstanding action of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion under heavy enemy fire contributed materially to the successful establishment of the Omaha beachhead. This battalion not only performed all of its own missions, but aided many other units in the accomplishment of theirs. But for this aid, the precarious situation of the units on the beach might have been turned into disaster."

On 29 June 1944, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion returned to England aboard the USS LST 59, leaving behind 6 officers and 98 enlisted men with "C" Co. Commander Lieut. George L. Clyburn in charge. The detachment remaining operated blinker communications from shore-to-ship and directed ferry and shuttle traffic in the English Channel. On 9 August 1944, Lieut. Clyburn and his men were relieved by a detachment of the 5th Naval Beach Battalion under the command of Lt. (jg) Karl K. Lusk.

A majority of the officers and men of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion returned to the United States in July 1944 aboard the USS Monticello and the battalion was decommissioned shortly thereafter. Most of the men were reassigned to the Amphibious Training Base at Oceanside, California in preparation for duty in the Pacific.

The following year, during ceremonies on Omaha Beach, the 5th Engineer Special Brigade Monument was dedicated by the Brigade Commander, Col. William D. Bridges. As the USN component of the brigade, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm by the Provisional Government of France and the names of its dead were included on the U.S. Army monument. The 5th Engineer Special Brigade Monument, close to the American Military Cemetery at St. Laurent-sur-Mer, is situated on top of the German bunker that served as the Brigade Command Post immediately after D-Day.

On D+56 years, the Sixth Naval Beach Battalion of WWII was awarded the Army Presidential Unit Citation

Since the end of World War II, veterans of this Naval battalion have returned to Normandy on numerous occasions to honor their fallen comrades. On 5 June 2001, the 6th NBB dedicated a memorial brass plaque mounted on the 5th Engineer Special Brigade Monument, directly overlooking the very beach where many from the Battalion gave their lives on D-Day. The highly emotional ceremony was not only a tribute to their dead shipmates, but for some of these old Navy veterans, a final farewell to the invasion beaches of France.

For more information on the 6th NBB, click onto Morris Rickenbach, Jack Hagerty & Fred Glover.

Ken Davey
son of Lt. J. Russell Davey, Jr., MC, USNR

 

---

November 19, 2002

Hi Ken,

I hope the 6 NBB reunion went well. I'm still trying to find information on my uncle, John Chase. Do you have a suggestion on how I can find out which of the Omaha beaches he landed on, and what landing craft brought him ashore? Are there survivors from Company B, Platoon B6 I could write to who
might have known John?

Best wishes,

Ken Kingsley

************************************************************************************************
Hi Ken,

I included a copy of the D-Day letter written by Virgil Weathers in a packet for the 6th NBB veterans at their Atlanta reunion I will CC this message to Ed Marriott asking him to publish in the next Scuttlebutt the enclosed letter asking for information regarding John Chase.  At the age of 89, Virgil Weathers remains a smart officer with a crystal clear mind.  Give him a call and send him my regards.  As with all the veterans of the 6th NBB, I think the world of him.  Please ask Virgil for an email address from one of his children.

I will CC this message to other 6th NBB vets online who surely remember your uncle.

Ken Davey
                                                                                                              June 1944

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Chase,

I wish there was some way which would allow me to help you bear the grief you feel as a result of John's death, but that isn't possible. My purpose in writing this is to tell you some of the things which you already know to be true. You know them because your son was no different here with us than when he left you. I felt you would be interested in a few of the details as to how John was actually killed, and as it happened, he was almost directly alongside me when he was hit by an enemy artillery shell. We were off the ramp of a landing craft when they began to fire. Quite a few our men were hit at this time, including John. And I am sure there was no consciousness of suffering. There was no disfigurement at all of his face, and not very much of his body. He was hit in front pretty low. I tell you these things not to remind you of the tragedy but to try to answer some of the natural questions in your mind. If there are others will you write and ask me? I shall make every effort to clear them up. John was buried on the hillside of Normandy overlooking the very spot where our operation took place. Others of our group are there near him. Many others, as was my case, were wounded and had to be taken to hospitals in England. My deepest heartfelt sympathy is with you. Every man in my platoon join in this feeling. John was very close to us all. We were a small unit and had been
together so long that we weren't simply in the Navy together, we were friends. I am very sure if it ever becomes necessary for parents to sacrifice sons, such as John, in war, I pray that it will never happen again.

Most sincerely,

Virgil S. Weathers

---

---

Subj: NBB Corpsman Update
Date: 11/05/2002 11:20:35 Eastern Standard Time
From: Dtreefarm@aol.com
To:     jvaghi@mac.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Morris Rickenbach and Joseph Wojnowski were USN Corpsmen in Commander Mike Hall's "B" Co. of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion.   Dr. Ralph Hall was one of nine medical officers in the Battalion.  On D-Day 6 June 1944, the 6th Naval Beach Battalion was responsible for organizing the Normandy landings and evacuating the casualties in the Easy Red, Fox Green and Fox Red sectors of Omaha Beach.

August 30, 1944
Camden, N.J.

Dear Lieutenant Hall,

I am Morris Rickenbach’s brother-in-law, and since his mother is as yet unable to concentrate on writing a letter, I am taking this opportunity to answer your letter for her.

It is impossible to find words to show our appreciation for your most enlightening and beautiful letter. There is little anyone can do to heal the wound that Rick's passing has inflicted on his mother and father and the rest of us who knew and loved him, but the message of condolence that you and others, who served in the same company with him, have sent or delivered in person to us have been like a soothing salve that has helped us more than any of you will ever know to bear the sorrow which his passing has brought to us.

If you are ever in this vicinity and have the opportunity to pay us a visit, please do not hesitate to do so. It may be of interest to you to know that so far we have had the pleasure of seeing Lieutenant Collier, Dick Grewelle, Dennis O’Leary, Russell Dickinson, and Joe Wojnowski. The latter hitch-hiked all the way from Elizabeth, N.J., to bring Rick’s mother his identification tags and a religious medal he had been wearing.

All these gestures of friendship and kindness, we can never hope to repay. All we can do is thank you - thank you all from the bottom of our hearts, and pray that God will watch over and protect all of you.

Sincerely Yours,                                                                        

Robert Maycott

P.S. Your letter to Rick’s mother and father was addressed to Camden, New York, instead of Camden, New Jersey.

*********************************************************************************
Subj:       Joe Wojnowski’s Story From WWII
Date:       8/15/01 4:20:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:      Tinywojo
To:           Dtreefarm

My dad never talked about the war as I was growing up until after my Mom passed in 1973. Maybe a tragic and early death brings back these terrible memories in one's life. The story was almost always the same one about when he landed on the beach of Normandy.

I believe his ship landed on the 3rd wave and this is how the story went: the beach was deserted except for Dr. Hall, Rickenbach and Dad. They were walking very slowly in a straight line, Dr. Hall led, Dad was next and then Rickenbach. They were oblivious to their surroundings, maybe it was fatigue, maybe it was shock, when suddenly Dr. Hall realized that there was shelling going on all around them. He yelled to Dad "run Wojo." They started to run and Dad turned to yell to Rickenbach to hurry but when he turned around, Rickenbach was hit and his body exploded right then. Every time he told me this story, it was like I was hearing it for the first time because he would just stare straight ahead and included every detail as though he were reliving it. I could see in my head the whole thing playing out as though I was actually there. And that's all he would say about that incident. The story ended there.

In the early 1990s, Dad told me he had a strong desire to visit Rickenbach's grave site. I did some research and found out that he was buried in a Burlington County, NJ cemetery by the name of Beverly National Cemetery. It's about an hour and a half from our home. That started our yearly ritual. On June 6th of every year that was to follow, Dad and I would go and visit Morris Rickenbach, Jr. at section F, grave # 1560 at the Beverly Cemetery. Mr. Rickenback's date of death was June 6, 1944. We continued that ritual until the year Dad couldn't walk anymore.

My Dad enlisted in the Navy on January 10, 1942 until December 10, 1945. He was a Pharmacist's Mate First Class. I hope this helps you Ken. And if you ever get a chance, would you send that letter from Rickenbach to Dad. 
 
Thank you, Eleanor          

*********************************************************************************

Hi Ken, thank you so much for thinking of us.  It is with a broken heart that I have to tell you that my beloved Pop left us on July 6th.  (It's strange how I thought soon afterwards that it was exactly one month after June 6th).  He was home with me and just couldn't lick a case of bronchitis that he had always overcome in the past.  I certainly wasn't prepared for this outcome.  Actually I had quit my job on July 1st (they had offered an early retirement package that took me two minutes to accept) because I wanted to spend all my time with Pop and he was so looking forward to that too.  I have wonderful memories of him but it's just not healing this broken heart.  I sure do hope Pop found Rickenbock out there.  Thanks for listening.  Eleanor Wojnowski, daughter of Joseph Wojnowski

*********************************************************************************
Dear Eleanor,

Sorry to hear that your father, PhM 1c Joseph H. Wojnowski, passed away 6 July 2002.  Through your letter, I will alert the WWII veterans of another lost shipmate. 

Eleanor, perhaps you will find peace by writing about your father's military service and D-Day memories.  Although your dad's highest priority for you would be to seek growth and serenity, writing about his life and participation on one of the most significant days in history might be healing for you and helpful to future generations. 

Nevertheless, your father will always be remembered.  Joseph Wojnowski and Morris Rickenbach, in a sense, will continue to live every time anyone anywhere reads about the WWII invasion of Normandy and the great historical contribution of the heroic 6th Naval Beach Battalion.

Please keep in touch.

Ken Davey
son of Dr. J. Russell Davey, Jr.

---

---

13 October 2002                                                                             

To All Hands:                                      
   
Today (Sunday October 13, 2002) every veteran of Naval Amphibious service lost a friend.  Stephen Ambrose, Historian, Author, and founder of the New Orleans National D-Day Museum died.
   
Ambrose was one of the few historians who knew how to spell AMPHIBIOUS and one of the very few who took the time and effort to learn what we did and what we accomplished.

The foot-slogging infantryman and the "down and dirty" Amphibious sailors were immortalized in many of his numerous best selling histories of World War II and were given prime recognition in the National D-Day Museum.
   
At the dedication of the Museum on June 6, 2000 and the dedication of the Pacific Wing on December 7, 2001 many veteran Amphibians had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ambrose.  A man with a ready smile, he was always interested in
who we were and where we served.

His numerous books and the National D-Day Museum are his everlasting legacy. I highly recommend both to your attention.
       
Well Done, Dr. Ambrose
                           
"Tiny" Clarkson, USS LCI NAT'L ASS'N

---

13 October 2002

Congratulations to Jerry Stover and his stealth heroes of D-Day. 

In preparation for OVERLORD, the 6 June 1944 invasion of Normandy, Captain Jerry S. Stover, Advance Headquarters for the U.S. Ninth Air Force, was responsible for selecting air defense radar sites in France.   On D+2, Captain Stover met with Commander Eugene Carusi and Sixth Naval Beach Battalion communications officer Lt. William E. Matchett on Omaha Beach.  Commander Carusi, Beachmaster Vaghi, "little boats" Strickland, BM 1/c Ed Marriott, S 1/c John Hanley, SM 2/cT Frank Hurley, HA 1/c Andy Chmiel, Dr. Davey and Lt. Matchett crossed the Channel aboard the LCI(L) 88 and went ashore Easy Red at 0735 on D-Day.

Jerry's radar unit was written up in the New York Times September 10, 2002.   Click here Army Captain Jerry Stover for the secret unit's story.
                                                            
Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times
Members of a secret World War II radar program reunited last month in New York. 
From left: Harrison W. Moore, Howard Hall, Isaac Blonder, Richard F. Koch, 
Elies Elvove, Jerry Stover and Joe Mazur.

KCD

---

16 September 2002

Hello,

I've just begun to search for information on my uncle who was killed in
WW II at Omaha Beach on D-Day. His name was John Morris Chase (from
Kansas), and he was a Navy signalman. My limited research indicates he
likely was in the 6th Naval Beach Battalion, assigned to the Army's 5th
Engineering Special Brigade. I believe his rank was RM 3c.

I have many letters and some photos that he sent to my mother during
1943 and through May 1944, but there was little information in them that
would help me know more about his unit or activities.

Any help I receive on how to get additional information will be greatly
appreciated.

Ken Kingsley
enka@attbi.com

*********************************************************************************

Hello Ken,

I'm not a religious person but I sense God looking over my shoulder.  First I receive your inquiry regarding John Morris Smith and my next email is from 6th NBB veteran Red Onines who has done a magnificent job putting together a detailed roster of 6th NBB personnel.  Here is the limited information he just sent regarding your uncle. 

CHASE, J. M.   SM3  Co. B   No other information and no leads.
NEED - 1st., Middle & Nick name,  Ser. #,   Pltn,   Spouse,   Last Known Address & Phone, What landing craft & beach, Who knew him well??

I have been able to determine that John M. Chase was in Platoon B-6 and from APA #2, went ashore Omaha Beach at H plus 210 minutes on 6 June 1944.  John Chase was not listed as KIA on the 5th ESB monument but neither was Alton Hudson of C-9.  The 6th Naval Beach Battalion lost four Beachmasters resulting in confusion and lost paperwork. 

I have added your name to my address book.  You should definitely contact Ed Marriott, 6th NBB Reunion Coordinator and leader of the 6th NBB Association. 

I will CC this message to Onines, Marriott, A. Silverman and Webmaster Townley.

Best Regards,

Ken Davey
son of Lt. J. Russell Davey, Jr., MC, USNR

9 August 2002

Dear Veterans, Friends and Historians:

The 6th Naval Beach Battalion, USCG LCI(L)s 85 and 88 made the cover story of the June 2002 issue of National Geographic magazine.  For those unable to buy a copy, you can click here National Geographic at D-Day  for an explanation of how "Untold Stories of D-Day" unfolded and the voice of LCDR Joseph P. Vaghi, Jr., USNR (Ret.).

You might recall that the 6th NBB, awarded the Presidential Unit Citation 56 years after D-Day, was featured in the June 2001 issue of Stars and Stripes  - "Navy Unit Honored For Work in Paving the Way For D-Day Landings" by Kevin Dougherty.  Only one year later, coinciding with the 2002 National Geographic article, Stars and Stripes  published "Stars and Stripes: 60 years and counting" again written by Kevin Dougherty.  The article includes 20 famous photographs taken over the past 60 years, with the leadoff photo of a (click here)  6th NBB Sailor Taking a Break in 1944.   If any NBB veteran can identify this sailor, please provide his name.

KCD

                                                       6th NBB Photo
Standing left to right at Oceanside Amphibious Training Base in California are Mo Greenman, 
Lewis “little boats” Strickland, Al Silva, Eddie Marriott and Howard Hampton; seated is David Catallo.
KCD         

April 26, 2002

Dear Veterans and Friends:

The message below was received from David Bronson, writer of a book regarding the history of LST 325, soon to be available.  David's father served on the LST 325 during WWII.  While on maneuvers, before the invasion of Normandy, Dr. John F. Kincaid of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion had "temporary duty" aboard the 325.

David's book is certainly on the cutting edge of USN amphibious history.  This month's LST Scuttlebutt had an update on the LST 325's future as a floating museum.

When discussing the contents of Spearheading D-Day and LST 325, famed author Jonathan Gawne wrote, "This is the same LST that is being sailed (as I write this) from Greece to the USA as a floating museum. Just plain cool."

Like Gawne, David Bronson has an interest in the amphibious forces of the NBBs, for which I am grateful.  The message and photo to follow best describes his commitment to USN Amphibious Forces of WWII.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************
Hello Ken,

Thought I'd send this information to you, and perhaps you'd like to pass it along to any of the people you're in contact with who might have an interest.

On July 19-21 in Michigan City, Indiana (at Washington Park) the 20th Century Tactical Studies Group will be holding a reenactment event, D-Day+ 58 Invasion Landings. This first annual Patriotic Event, in conjunction with the 47th annual Michigan City Summer Festival, features multiple D-Day+ 58 beach invasion landings (with 3 US Navy landing craft), public displays, demonstrations, living history encampments, military vehicle rally, 1940's style canteen dance and much more.

It will be my privilege to represent the 6th Naval Beach Battalion at this event. I will be participating in the landings and setting up a display as a 6th NBB medic. As far as I know, and I have been in contact with the event coordinators, I will be the lone NBB reenactor. Besides a complete combat medics kit, other items I will have for display will be a BC-1000 backpack radio, field telephone, signal flags, and various other personal items.

I'm looking forward to this, my first living-history event as 6th NBB.

Dave Bronson
              
                           
  
               Dave Bronson, 6th NBB                               Dr. Davey's Helmet

Ken Davey

April 22, 2002

Charleston, IL
mjdaniel@mcleodusa.net

April 21, 2002

Dear Veterans and Friends:

A number of inquiries have been made regarding the make-up of American troops on the LCI(L) 85, sunk in the English Channel USCG at Normandy 6 June 1944.  There were over 200 Army and Navy troops on the 85 for the Normandy operation.  Shortly after 8:30 a.m. on D-Day, the USCG-manned LCI(L) 85 struck a mine off Easy Red and then took multiple hits from the 88s and machine gun fire.  At the very moment the shore batteries opened up, U.S. Navy Beachmaster Karl E. Hein, 6th Naval Beach Battalion, was leading his C-9 platoon down the starboard ramp of the 158-foot-long landing craft.  Dr. John F. Kincaid was Beachmaster Hein's C-9 medical officer.  However, many of the 6th NBB sailors who died on that ship were a reconnaissance squad from "B" Co.  LCI 85 was the scheduled follow-up ship to LCI 88; you might recall that Ralph Gault's LCI 88 put Commander Carusi, Dr. Davey and Beachmaster! Vaghi's C-8 platoon ashore "Easy Red" Omaha Beach at 0735.  Beachmaster Jack Hagerty of "B" Co., leader of the "recon group," was one of the 6th NBB amphibians who died on the 85. 

Click here D-Day Letters to read messages from Dr. Kincaid, Dr. Davey and Commander Carusi to Jack Hagerty's widow.  Those letters might be worthwhile reading during your presentations for students.  You might want to mention that Jack's daughter was born two months after D-Day.

On 19 April 2002, Richard Weyant of "B" Co., 6th NBB, spoke to the students at my high school - Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) in Newburgh, NY (Washington's Headquarters just north of West Point, NY).  Last year, Richard was a guest speaker in Newburgh at the banquet for the WWII Merchant Seamen of the Lower Hudson Valley.  He will be the Grand Marshal for this year's Memorial Day parade in Highland Falls, NY.  The HS students at NFA gave Richard Weyant - a humble old Salt - a standing ovation at the end of his presentation.  Next week, Richard is scheduled to view Navy Medicine at Normandy D-Day June 6, 1944 with the students.

Incidentally, we had a mild earthquake in New York today.

KCD

April 3, 2002

Thank you for putting this site up.  My father told me about being in the amphibious forces but couldn't remember his unit name.  He told us how shocked he was when in Oran they handed him a helmet, rifle and marine gear.
He told them he was a sailor and they told him he was now in the amphibious forces.  He was the best shot on the rifle team at the Med. Naval HQ.  He went to MEK and trained in landing craft.  He was assigned to the
small boat repair team as a rifleman.  He carried a Springfield rifle and told me that they painted USN on their helmets so no one would think they were marines.  My father's name is Kenneth G. McLeod.  He had a best friend
named Ward.

My father was transferred from Med. Naval HQ duties to a NBB.  He said that men in his unit had made the invasion of N. Africa.  He loaded ammo during one of the invasions in the Med. and was sent back to OCS, at the University of Michigan, just before his unit made the invasion of Southern France. He says that his CO was Lt. Cmd Meter known as Big Yank.

Can anyone help me find out which unit he was in?  I just want to mention that a new book in the bookstores titled "Spearheading D-Day" by Jonathan Gawne has an entire chapter about the Naval Beach Battalions, with photos
and history and organization.  This is the first time I have ever seen anything about the NBB in print.

Thanks again for putting this site up.
Rob McLeod
rmac165@hotmail.com

February 19, 2002

Very informative site! The special engineers are due recognition for their bravery on Omaha. My 3 uncles were with the 29th Division's 110th Field Artillery. I've been to the area several times.  I also have a site which is
mainly dedicated to 6 June 1944.

Tim Roop
http://www.ww2dday.com