Last Eyewitnesses, World War II Memories: D-Day to 70th Anniversary - Paperback

by Walter Parks (Author), John Long (Author)

This book was written to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day and to preserve the last personal voices of the truly great soldiers that went ashore at Normandy on June 6, 1944 or shortly thereafter. Soon, all these brave men will pass to another time and place. We believe that these men should never be forgotten. Their personal memories must be preserved. Paratroopers, glider pilots, artillery men, medics, dog soldiers, and even a sailor who witnessed Rangers storming the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc were personally interviewed. The interviewees ranged in age from 88 to 93 and to a man, each had some profound stories to tell. Those landing on the beaches have burning memories of the great armada of ships and vessels in the avenging invasion of Normandy. They remember the carnage of bodies on the beaches. I asked one of the Interviewees, George Pulakos to describe his experiences on the beach. GEORGE PULAKOS: They kept me on the beach, I could swim. I was a swimmer and I would recover bodies. We were stacking them like cord wood on the beach. For years I've carried horrific images in my head of all the bodies on the beach. They were stacked like cord wood, 4 and 5 feet high. This book describes such memories from 14 of these warriors. This may be the last documented eyewitness's memories of the D -Day invasion. Four have already died since our interviews of just a few months ago. We interviewed Eugene Meier October 30, 2013; he died 17 days later on November 16, 2013 at age 90. We interviewed Percy Scarborough November 22, 2013; he died 25 days later on December 17, 2013 at age 88. We interviewed Jack Carver December 1, 2013; he died 38 days later on January 8, 2014 at age 90. We interviewed Harold Powers December 9, 2013; he died 23 days later on January 1, 2014 at age 92. This book is indeed about the last eyewitnesses' memories. We begin this heroic, terrible, terrible war story in 1939. That was when the European war really started. That is when Germany invaded Poland, and Britain and France declared war on Germany. Many books have been written about World War II, but most have concentrated on well known leaders and celebrated heroes. We wanted to tell the story through the eyes and memories of the common soldier. Most of our heroic interviewees still had clear memories of the significant events they encountered. We present their memories in their own words because we want you to be able to sense their emotions. The interviews are split into sections so that we can integrate their memories with the chronological and historical framework of their experiences. Some of the interviews were so very visual that we could see the bodies floating in the waters at the beaches. We could see our soldiers falling in the hedgerows and roads of the country side. We could see our soldiers when they were captured and marched long distances in severe weather. We could almost hear the gunfire and smell the gunpowder. We could see the horrors of the German concentration camps. Let's never forget these memories.

Author Biography

About Author John Long After high school, I joined the Army and was assigned to Heavy Mortar Company, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Division, spending almost two and a half years in Germany. I then went to college in Memphis Tennessee and obtained two degrees from the University of Memphis, one being a law degree in 1965. In 1967, I was elected county prosecuting attorney for Tupelo, Lee County, Mississippi and served four years. Afterwards I practiced law in Lee County until I retired in 1994. Most of my practice included trying cases in front of a jury. I still maintain an active license to help people pro bono when I feel needed. My life long friend, Walter Parks, an author and publisher is working with me to write this book because of my desire to preserve the memories of the last eyewitnesses from Normandy in World War II. While many books have been written over the years about the war, we wanted this book to be a little different. I wanted these ordinary men with extraordinary courage to be heard and preserved for future generations. We went to Graignes and the beaches of Normandy. While there we began to lay the foundation for this book. When we returned home we sought out surviving soldiers who fought in WWII. It has been an incredible journey as my wife and I interviewed these gentlemen and listened to their stories. We must preserve these last eyewitnesses' memories. About Author Walter Parks I wrote this book with my life-long friend John Long because of his intense interest in recording the last memories of common but exceptional soldiers in World War II. I was born in Memphis Tennessee and grew up in Saltillo Mississippi with John Long. After graduating from Mississippi State University as an aerospace engineer I moved to Orlando Florida and worked for Lockheed Martin for 24 years. I advanced from an aerospace engineer to a Vice President of the Company and President of the Tactical Weapons Systems Division. After retirement from Lockheed I formed Parks-Jaggers Aerospace Company and sold it 4 years later. I then formed Quest Studios, Quest Entertainment and Rosebud Entertainment to make films at Universal Studios. I produced 10 films, directed 7 films and wrote 5 film scripts produced at Universal Studios. I then formed UnknownTruths Publishing Company to publish true stories of the unusual or of the previously Unknown or unexplained. I have published 33 books.