Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 018, folder 11: Mark Henry Infinger

5th Engr. Special Brigade 61st Med. Bn. Omaha 1530 hrs.

INFINGER, Mark Henry

5th Eng Sp brig Ky 11

Box 18, #11

KENTUCKY

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day

O-E

Medico, Omaha Knows Sgt. Keek

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

KY 11

What is your full name? Mark Henry Infinger

What was your unit and division? Co. D, 61st Medical Batallion, 5th Engineer Special Brigade, (attached to the 1st Infantry Division).

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Omaha Beach aproximately 1530 hours, 6 June 1944.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Staff Sergeant

What was your age on June 6, 1944? twenty-three (23)

Were you married at that time? No

What is your wife’s name? N/A

Did you have any children at that time? N/A

What do you do now? Soldier in United States Army stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky (NCO In-Charge of Central Examining Station, w Ireland Army Hospital.

When did you know that you were- going to be part of the invasion? About three weeks before the invasion, approximately 20 May 1944.

What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time? The trip across the channel was uneventful. We left England by transport ship on 5 June 1944 and crossed the channel at night. We slept most of the way across.

What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). There were no particular rumors that I can remember aboard our ship.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -

Your name Mark H. Infinger

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Only one, a PFC John Kawrich total me he would be anxious to go into the invasion and get the war over with so he could get back back and marry his girl.

Were you wounded? No.

Do you remember what it was like--that felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? N/A

Do you remember seeing- or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? The efforts of all of us trying to dig fox holes in in the little rocks scattered on the beach. We would try to dig a hole and the little rocks would roll right down and cover the hole as soon as we had scouped them out. The rocks were about two (2) to three (3) inches in diameter and we must have made a funny sight trying to dig holes in that beach and hide when we couldn’t.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? I and a buddy were going along the beach giving first aid to casualties; there was all kinds of noise and life around us, then the enemy started shelling us with artillery. I dived behind some driftwood on the beach and when I got back up after the shelling there wasn’t a sound or anything alive or moving as far as I could see. The silence and stillness with nothing but dead bodies around me struck me more than anything else on that day.

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Your name Mark H. Infinger

In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? A medical technician (Technician 3rd Grade William J. Bomford) in my platoon was directing the “loading of the wounded"' in landing craft to take back to the hospital ship in the channel (our only means of evacuating the wounded was to load them on landing craft after they had discharged their cargo of either men or equipment and send them back to the transports or hospital ships I laying in anchor in the Channel). Now, everytime we would get a landing craft loaded with casualties and started on the way, the enemy would drop an artillery shell right in the middle of the landing craft thereby rendering our efforts useless. So Technician Bomford realizing the enemy was observing us started putting in a few of the own enemy wounded in each landing craft hoping they would see their own wounded comrades being taken care of and wouldn’t fire on the evacuating landing craft. This worked wonderful and to evacuate the casualties in this manner.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? On a Personnel Assault Transport Ship crossing the English Channel.

"Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? On Omaha Beach in a captured enemy bunker we had turned into a First-aid Station.

Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took parkin the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? MSGT William S Keck US Army Medical Research Laboratory Fort Knox, Kentucky

Have him? (please check)

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE HOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED "WHERE THEY ARE NOW; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

Cornelius Ryan

Frances Ward Research, The Reader’s Digest

2 May 1958

SFC Mark H. Infinger Medical Detachment Ireland Army Hospital Fort Knox, Kentucky

Miss Francis Ward Readers Digest 230 Park Ave. New York, New York

Miss Ward:

In response to notice concerning personnel who participated in D-Day landings on the 5th and 6th of June 1944, I wish to inform you that I landed on Omaha Beach at approximately 1500 hours 6 June 1944 with 61st Medical Battalion, a part of the 54th Engineer Special Brigade attached to the 1st Infantry Division.

At that time I was a Platoon Sergeant of a Clearing Platoon attached to give medical support to the landing forces.

I will be happy to furnish any additional information you may desire.

Yours truly,

SFC Mark H. Infrnger Med Det, IAH Ft Knox, Ky

MHI/tdm