 The landing boats each carried about 30 men with full equipment. Well, our boat was, I'd say, 100 yards out. It was hit by sermons. We were over the beaches. We could see the ships that were going into land. We could see them blowing up and see the troops running for trying to get to protect themselves. The sailor on the assault boat dropped the ramp and we hit the water, which was about chest-deep and headed for the shore. There were explosions all around us, the sights and smells of death, and the cries of the winter. We finally got moving and had to cross a minefield. Our mission was to work inland as quickly as possible to the town of Saint-Mer-Eglise and relieve the paratroopers that had descended on the town hours earlier. I began to find out that D-Day was a historical day. I had no idea that it was going to be such a big thing. But yet, the other generations are not aware of it and there's very few of us guys left.