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

Chapter 2 Snippet

[ ] On January 8, 1940, almost two full years prior to JR’ entering the Army, his father James Anthony Copeland, was killed in a coal-mine accident. His father was manager of a mine near Sanger, West Virginia, owned by Cliff Garten. JR’s father and Garten were at odds with one another as Garten resented James Anthony for his favorable view and effort to unionize the coal mines.

“They black-balled him after being fired a couple times . . . none of the owners would hire him because of his fight to get the unions going,” JR’ said about his father.

Obviously, the mine owners felt it would cost them additional money for worker wages and added rules and regulations to install worker safety throughout the work site. The ‘war’ between the mine workers and owners went on for several years.

Garten hired JR’s father because James Anthony offered to use his own team of mules in Garten’s mine. This was obviously a big monetary savings for Garten . . . so he hired him to work in the mine and manage a crew of men. One day, James Anthony was driving his own mule team down into the mine when he fell from his perch on the front bumper of a loaded coal wagon. The wagon rolled over him before they could stop the mules causing severe internal bleeding. He died before they got him to the local hospital. JR’ was eighteen when his father died.

JR’s father possessed incredible courage for holding his opinion about unionization with the coal mine owners. The unions finally came to the coal mines but James Anthony Copeland would never live to see it. His spirit and strong-will certainly influenced the young teenage JR’. Many would conclude there was no mystery why JR’ reacted as he did on Omaha Beach...
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