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

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ranger Copeland and US Army Medals…

JRMedals

  Here’s a recent picture of me holding my Army medals. I’m not one to brag about my military commendations…my biographer, Garry M. Graves thought the picture would be a fitting end to the book, so here it is.

  We WWII veterans didn’t do much bragging, in fact we never talked much about the war. It’s not our nature. Probably how we were brought up…in the depression era you know. My parents didn’t brag about nothing, guess they thought it was out of place to ‘blow your own horn.’

  Sure I’m proud of winning the medals they gave me, but mostly, I’m proud of righting the wrong of what Hitler did, what the Japanese did with their sneak attack. We showed them…we kicked the crap out of them. That, I’m proud of.

  The biographer says I’m a hero. Maybe yes—maybe no, thing is I survived that World War and that god-forsaken beach, Omaha Red, where 5000 soldiers died. I survived to marry my sweetheart, to have a loving family and a great work life. It’s hard to think of myself as a hero when so many others lost their chance.

  Just so you know…the book is selling well, really well. Thank you for that. Garry says my book selling for less than ten bucks is a tribute to those who died. I agree. So if you’ve not bought the Bloody Omaha book yet, you might try it.

Respectfully, James Robert Copeland, S/Sgt., Company B, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion

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