‘Bloody Omaha’ signed by author JR’ Copeland.

   Here’s a snapshot of my blog page showing where you can find a link to purchase a ‘signed’ paperback copy of  Bloody Omaha. It’s in the upper left hand corner of the page right next to the most recent blog post. Clicking on this link will take you to a page where you will see a ‘Buy Now’ button, which gets you the signed paperback Bloody Omaha for $11.95. This price includes shipping to you. That’s all you pay, $11.95 and I’ll send it to anyplace in The United States.

   Down below that area of the page you’ll see two book covers which are links to buy the book from Amazon. The one on the left side is for the eBook version which sells for $.99. The one on the right is the paperback version, coming from Amazon. With Amazon you pay the freight and the books not signed by me. It’s $9.99, maybe less. Of course with the eBook its just a file transfer to your computer, your ereader or phone. Selling plenty of these eBooks as they are cheap, only $.99 cents with no shipping expense for the customer. Pretty good deal, huh?

   Anyway…just wanted to bring this ‘signed version’ to your attention as have had some people ask me about if they could get a autographed copy. Garry created a method to do it, so now you have it.

   Thanks plenty for buying my little book. Everyone loves all the pictures in the book and say it helps them envision the story as they read, which is good, and why we wanted to include all those (39) pictures. Just so you know…the little book sold twice as many in March as it did in February. Pretty good, huh? It’s only been out since January, 2011. Tell your friends. And don’t forget to write a review.

   Should you want to email me, please address to: rangerJRCopeland at gmail.com Thank You All.

Respectfully, JR Copeland, S/Sgt., Company B, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, WWII Survivor.

My ‘37 Harley Flathead…my favorite.

I loved my ‘37 Harley Flathead motorcycle. The picture on the left is one I found on the internet. It’s a beauty. Mine, the picture on the right, had a higher and longer set of handlebars…and they fit me real good. This was my first of many motorcycles, all Harleys, I owned throughout my life. This ‘Flathead’ was my favorite…having a special place in my heart and memories.

When the war broke out after Pearl Harbor I joined up and sold the Flathead before leaving for the Army. I hated that, as it was like an old friend. That motorcycle and I drove many miles in the three years prior to me shipping out to contribute to the war effort. Most every man I knew wanted to contribute in some way, either fighting the Germans or digging coal out of the ground, like my brother. Everybody felt they needed to do their part to win the war.

The book about me and my ‘war story,’ is selling real well. I owe it all to you for buying the book…and thinking you might learn a little more about what happened over there. That movie, Private Ryan, is probably the best representation of what actually happened on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The beginning of that movie is so real…it makes me remember my time on that god-forsaken beach.

Bet you’re wondering what ever happened to that Harley Flathead. Me too. I sold it to guy who was going out west…I never saw it again.

Well, til next time. Thanks for honoring me and all the other US Army Rangers. Remember to pray for the military, who protect us.

Respectfully, James Robert Copeland, S/Sgt., 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, WWII, Survivor.

‘Bloody Omaha – My Remembrances of That Day by James Robert Copeland,’ is now sold on Amazon for $.99 (eBook).

Ranger Copeland and US Army Medals…

  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

‘Chigger’ and my new Book Cover…

  The book was submitted to the publisher this week and should be up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble by the end of the month.

  My biographer changed how the title looked on the front cover…making ‘Bloody Omaha’ on two separate lines and the letters bigger. It looks pretty good ‘even if I do say so myself.’

  This cover picture is from a picture setting on my end table near my lounger. Garry, the biographer, thought it would make a nice, interesting cover. The picture is me when I was about 8 years old, back in 1929. The dog in the picture is my first dog, his name was ‘Chigger.’’ He was a little dog… ‘no bigger than a cat,’ I’d say, probably weighing less than 10 pounds. He was a feisty critter though.

  Come to find out later that this breed of dog originated in Europe. Kind 'a funny when you think about it…Chigger’s breed starting out in Europe and me almost being ‘finished’ in Europe. Almost lost my life on Omaha Beach Red, a real hot patch of acreage along the French coast.

  There’s over 9000 men buried at Normandy, I think about them everyday.

  Not me though, I survived. I survived to tell you my story. It’s a pretty short story but it has a lot of pictures. You’ll probably think it’s exciting…and when I think back on those times, it was damn exciting.

Respectfully, JR’ Copeland, S/Sgt., 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, Survivor

General Patton taking a whizzzzz

  This is a picture of General Patton, a real genuine son-of-a-*****, and damn proud of it.

  I never got to meet the General and I hated that. Other soldiers told me he’d stand directly in front of you…staring straight into your eyes. You being a lowly private or sergeant or whatever and him being a Lieutenant General, (3 stars).

  No two ways about it, this was a ‘tough’ man. He took no crap from anyone, which is why we all liked and admired him. And, you damn well better be tough or act like your tough in front of him. If you didn’t look him in the eye, he would say something, or grab on your uniform or just do something to make you look at him. He wanted your eye contact…he wanted you to know this was man to man.  That’s what other soldiers told me, it would’ve been great if I’d met him. He was the best soldier of them all.

  This picture is him taking a leak in the Rhine River in Germany. One of my buddies got a copy of this picture when they put it out for publicity. I wish I could have put it in my book…but General Patton and I never crossed paths. I hated that.

Respectfully, James Robert Copeland, S/Sgt., 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, WWII, Omaha Beach, (Survivor).

P.S. Garry, my biographer, says the print book will be out before the end of December, on Amazon. Look for it. You might like it.

‘Fighting and forgetting . . .’

  Here’s a picture of me in 1942. Don’t remember whether I was in California or Alabama, training to become a soldier and finally a US Army Ranger crashing the beaches of Omaha in France.

  Was probably around 20 years old then and full of p**s and vinegar as they say. You had to be tough physically, but even tougher in your mind. Being away from home and preparing for war sometimes makes you think if you’ll ever return to normal times. Each soldier had his own way of coping with his feelings . . . and their were some who just knew they were going to die.

  Not me. If it happened, it happened. It was something that never occupied my mind a lot. When seeing some soldier all wrapped up in his worry about such as this, I would make a point of ridding his concerns and doubts by starting a fight.

  It worked well most of the time as I loved to fight and was pretty good at it.

  Sometimes, my match was met when I got the s**t kicked out of me. But . . . the fight served its purpose and they quickly forgot all about their plight.

  Men at war are different people. Have to be. War is hell.

  Be sure this Thanksgiving to think about all the soldiers.

  Respectfully, JR’ Copeland

S/Sgt., 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, WWII (Survivor)

Veterans Day – My Experiences

  We were all pretty scared, but we advanced to the beach. Omaha Beach, usually called Bloody Omaha where over 5000 men were killed. This one beach.

  Fighting in war is hell…no two ways about it. But every soldier will tell you they have to do it. Someone has to do it.

  When we left the landing craft (LCV), the German machine gunners were peppering the boat’s front ramp, we could hear the bullets hitting the door. We dropped into waist-high water, not as bad as some that went in over their head. We hurried from the hedge-post obstacles trying to reach the beach, and the seawall. It was safer there. We stacked as close to the wall as we could, preying the spray of machine gun bullets from above didn’t have our name on them.

  Some made it…many didn’t.

  You can read my story and learn more about me on this fateful day… D-Day, June 6th, 1944. My new book: Bloody Omaha – My Remembrances of That Day by James Robert Copeland, S/Sgt., 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, WWII, Survivor. Book release date: Winter – 2010. Paperback and eBook versions.

Respectfully, Ranger Copeland (Veterans Day – 2010)

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