I interviewed Harold Baumgarten, a soldier of the 116th infantry of the 29th division, who served during the battle of D-Day. I found Harold’s story to be very interesting in many ways. Hearing him recount his experiences on Omaha beach has caused me to want to learn more about the battle in which the Allies invaded France. Personally, I think Harold should be considered an American hero for his bravery and determination. Harold was drafted on June 26, 1943 at the age of 18. He began training in South Carolina and later in Maryland, before being transferred to southern England. Harold described the training as intense and demanding, his division even had to climb cliffs in preparation for Normandy. On June 5, 1944, the ships full of soldiers left for the beaches of France. Harold remembered the weather being terrible that night, his boat crew had to bail out the knee-high ocean water with their helmets just so they wouldn’t sink. When his boat landed on Omaha beach, Harold was immediately aware that he probably wouldn’t make it out alive. He was injured three times on the first day of battle, but continued fighting. On the second day, he was injured two more times and the pain became unbearable. He gave himself a shot of morphine and fell asleep thinking that the Allies …show more content…
It was amazing how he remembered every little detail of his experiences in World War II. When he was describing the what he saw on that beach, I thought of how traumatizing it would have been to actually be there. I think Harold, being only 19 years old, was incredibly brave and determined to fight in that battle. He was so determined that even with terrible injuries, Harold kept fighting. He only gave up when the pain became unbearable. During the first day of battle, Harold went into open fire and saved a man’s life by dragging him out of harm's way. I think this shows extreme selflessness by putting his own life on the line to save