American Valor Quarterly Issue 6 - Spring/Summer 2009 | Page 21

Courtesy of Harley Reynolds

the sand and one single wheel, continuing to roll down the beach of our team, we were the first through the wire in our area and a
as though nothing had happened. This was my last look at the big contributing factor to the surrender of the entrenchments west
beach as I headed inland.
of E1. This entrenchment controlled the beach where we landed
and gave us our greatest number of casualties.
I took off towards the men moving inland and asked where
Company B was. They said up ahead, but it was almost twenty-four The movie “The Longest Day” shows wire being blown in the
hours before I caught up.
same manner I described, but the movie version shows it in a very
different location on the beach. It shows it happening among cliffs
I came to an unpaved road and asked where Company B or First and rocks with a log for some protection. Our beach was different
Battalion was and they pointed to a road going right. I wasn’t far with sand and shingles. This has baffled me, since I saw the movie.
down that road when I realized that I was alone. I turned left at Two events so similar are hard for me to accept. I know the movies
the next road and found it was completely deserted. It was getting are dramatized, but I didn’t hear any names mentioned in the movie
dark, when suddenly in the middle of the road I walked up on that I recognized. Maybe they used fictitious names, but our names
what I thought was a German Tiger tank. I have since learned that are real! I have felt for years this story should be told while it can
it was more likely a self propelled Artillery gun. I froze. It took be substantiated. We won’t live forever! My only excuse is that I
me seconds to realize it was knocked out. I
always felt the story would not be accepted
must have acted peculiarly because I heard a
and I would be embarrassed. I didn’t feel I
chuckle from the ditch along side the road.
had anyone to tell it to until now.
It was an outpost of paratroopers, only five
or six men on guard for the night. Their
Harley Reynolds’ D-Day experience, along
main body was just down the road. They said
with his story of taking part in the invasions
some of their people had knocked out the
of North Africa and Sicily, can be found
tank. They suggested I not go any further, as
in his first-hand account, How I Survived the
there were more of their troops on the road
Three First Wave Invasions. To purchase a copy
and they weren’t using passwords. They were
of the book, visit www.omahaharley1fl.com
using the now famous cricket call. I spent
or call
the night in the ditch with them. Several
727-384-6901.
times during the night I heard the cricket
sound being exchanged as more troops
AVQ
joined them. It was surprising to me how
close some of the calls were when they were
The author, Harley A. Reynolds, during
challenged. They were the quietest troops I
World War II.
had ever heard.
I learned I had spent the night within shouting distance of my
company when I rejoined them just south of Colleville. We spen