Bloody Omaha: My Remembrances of That Day (Paperback, Fall - 2010) by James Robert Copeland, S/SGT., 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion
I remember receiving sniper fire from above in a similar scene as pictured here -- none of us thought we'd make it. I did make it and here is my story.
It begins from my childhood in West Virginia, where my family and my family's family, worked in the coal mines.
When war broke out (Pearl Harbor), I enlisted in the Army and became Army Ranger -- fighting that fateful day, on the bloodiest beach, June 6th, 1944.


As a home health aid my wife Linda discovered James Robert Copeland. Linda and I were surprised with his energy, his vitality and his story. It didn't take much conversation to convince him of the importance of recording his story for posterity. We had several interviews over the past year and each time JR (as Ranger Copeland likes to be called), reminded me he felt his time was running out. He wanted me to hurry in my writing so he could see the finished book.
JR Copeland will be 89 years old this year. There has never been a time when I didn't find him cordial, informative and quite lucid in his conversation. Hopefully JR will see his story published -- this man is a magnanimous individual, besides being a war hero. I hope my writing does justice to his great story.
--garry m graves, biographer

Monday, August 9, 2010

Did my Basic Training in California.

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This picture is a barracks building at Camp Roberts, located about half way between Los Angles and San Francisco, California. Camp Roberts was where I received basic training after being inducted into the U.S. Army. I arrived there early in 1942 and after that was stationed for duty five miles down highway 101, attached to the 35th Division. Thought maybe of returning to California after the war but never did…went back to West Virginia.

The training was difficult but I enjoyed most of it, except for KP. It was like a new adventure for me and a lot different than working in the coal mines back home. After a rigorous basic training most of the soldiers were pulling some sort of guard duty in and around the larger coastal cities. People were scared out of their wits thinking the United States was going to be invaded at any time. Picture19

We guarded every damn government building, manufacturing facility, warehouse area and of course the shipping port area’s. The noted entertainer and news reporter at the time, Walter Winchell, called us the ‘Hollywood Commandoes.’ The citizens loved having us around -- giving us rides to where we wanted to go and buying us drinks at the local bars, it was great and the soldiers really liked the attention. But we grew tired of all this, it just didn’t seem like we were contributing much -- we couldn’t wait to ‘go across the pond,’ and make a real statement of how we felt about Pearl Harbor and the war.

We were mad as hell.

Respectfully, Ranger JR’ Copeland

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