Synopsis of oral history interview with Ralph Martire.

              VIDEO LOG
RALPH MARTIRE
WWII
ARMY
BORN: 2-2-1924
INTERVIEWED BY R. MASTRONI ON 3-27-10
0:01:00 DESCRIBES WHAT HE WAS DOING PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE SERVICE AND WITH THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR EVERYONE WANTED TO ENLIST
0:01:50 DECRIBES HOW HE WAS SENT TO TEXAS FOR TRAINING AND COMICALLY DECRIBES HOW HE GOT THE NAME MARTIRE
0:02:40 STARTED INFANTRY TRAINING FT BARKLY, TEXAS AND TALKS ABOUT HIS BROTHER FRANK WHO WAS WOUNDED ON GRADACANAL
0:03:40 DESCRIBES TRAINING STARTING IN TEXAS, THEN TO LA. THEN TO CALIF. TO NEW JERSEY AND THEN TO ENGLAND
0:04:20 DESCRIBES LANDING TRAINING IN BIRMINGHAM, THEN TO SHIPS IN LIVERPOOL AND THEN SAT IN THE CHANNEL FOR FIVE DAYS
0:05:01 DESCRIBES GETTING INTO LANDING BARGES WHICH WAS SO DIFFICULT AND THE CONDITIONS AS THEY LANDED ON UTAH BEACH
0:06:44 DESCRIBES WHEN THE LANDING BARGE DOOR OPENS YOU REALIZE YOUR BEING SHOT AT AND YOU SEE MEN FALLING INTO THE WATER
0:07:30 DESCRIBES HOW HE WAS LAYING NEXT TO A DEAD SOLDIER WHO KEPT GETTING HIT INSTEAD OF HIM. CRAWLING AND FINALLY RUNNING, HE COULDN’T DESCRIBE IT EXCEPT IT WAS TOO LOUD HE DESCRIBES THE MANY WOUNDED “I SAW A SOLDIER LOSE HIS ARM” AND MANY KILLED
0:09:58 DESCRIBES THE FACT THAT THEY NEVER SAW THE ENEMY, ONLY THE SLITS OF PILLBOXES WHICH WERE FIRING AT THEM
0:10:37 DESCRIBES THE HEDGEROWS AND THE HEDGEROW FIGHTING AND HOW TANKS COULD PLOW THROUGH AND MAKE OPENING FOR US WE KEPT CHASING THE GERMANS BUT WE LOST A LOT OF MEN IN THE HEDGEROWS
0:13:12 DESCRIBES HOW HE RECEIVED A BRONZE STAR FOR HELPING TO SAVE A WOUNDED SOLDIER YOUR NOT THINKING OF GETTING HURT - YOUR TRYING TO SAVE A BUDDY
0:14:28 READING THE CITATION THAT LEAD TO A BROZE STAR FOR RALPH MARTIRE
DESCRIBES THAT EXPOSING YOURSELF TO ENEMY FIRE OCCURS ALL THE TIME IN COMBAT
0:17:20 DESCRIBES THE TOWN OF THEONVILLE, WHERE HE WAS HIT WITH SHRAPNEL
0:17:58 DESCRIBES THE BATTLE TO THEWE TOWN OF VERDUN - EACH BUILDING IS OCCUPIED BY ENEMY
HE DESCRIBES HOW TO SURROUND THE HOUSE SO AS TO THROW HAND GRENADES IN
0:18:28 THERE WAS A BUILDING WITH A STONE WALL. WE WERE UP AGAINST THE STONE WALL OUR OFFICER CALLED FOR FIVE MEN TO OVER THE WALL, THEY WERE ALL KILLED. I WAS CALLED IN THE SECOND GROUP OF FIVE I CLIMBED OVER THE WALL AND STARTED CRAWLING UNTIL I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE BUILDING WHERE THE GERMANS COULDN’T SHOOT AT ME - I WAS ABLE TO THROW HAND GRENADES THROUGH THE WINDOW
0:20:15 DESCRIBES IT AS SOMETHING YOU HAD TO DO, RALPH RECEIVED A SECOND BRONZE STAR
0:22:35 DESCRIBES THE RATIONS OF FOOD AND THE FRENCH HOUSES THE FRENCH