Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Audio Recording Leroy C. Bowen, Jr. Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Coast Guard
- Unit of Service: Landing Craft Infantry Large (LCI-L) 83
- Location of Service: Atlantic City, New Jersey; South Hampton Coast Guard Radio Station, Long Island, New York; Dartmouth, England; Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
- Highest Rank: Radioman Third Class
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/17142
As a kid, Radioman Third Class Leroy Bowen, Jr. spent summers in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he took sailing lessons at a nearby Coast Guard Training Base. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he left school at the age of sixteen and lied about his age in order to enlist in the Coast Guard. During the invasion, he served aboard Landing Craft Infantry Large (LCI-L) 83, which was damaged by a mine as it approached Omaha Beach. While under continuous fire from the Germans, his crew patched the holes with mattresses and made it back to England, listing all the way. In his interview, he describes the lasting memories of pulling drowning men and bodies from the water on D-Day, and speaks with pride about the role of the Coast Guard in the invasion.
Leroy C. Bowen, Jr. Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayLying about his age so that he could join the Coast Guard; blaming the discrepancy on a typographical error 00:03:16.0 - 00:04:03.0
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PlayDeciding to join the US Coast Guard because of previous exposure to sailing and other Coast Guardsmen; pride in being part of the branch 00:04:12.0 - 00:05:20.0
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PlayGoing out on maneuvers to train for invasion; assignment to Omaha Beach; memory of realizing that invasion had started 00:18:11.0 - 00:20:29.0
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PlayPride in the Matchbox Navy; sequence of events on Omaha Beach during invasion 00:20:35.0 - 00:24:30.0
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PlayLCI-L damaged by mine; abandoning ship and going ashore; stranded on beach; patching the landing craft while under continuous fire 00:29:58.0 - 00:32:07.0
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PlayFirst view of beach; seeing bodies and thinking they were driftwood; patching up the craft with mattresses 00:35:01.0 - 00:37:37.0
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PlayNot realizing at the time the risk involved in invasion; being well trained; trusting in his Skipper 00:42:38.0 - 00:44:10.0
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PlayStill remembering scenes from invasion; having nightmares right after D-Day; still dreaming about what he saw 00:44:11.0 - 00:46:36.0
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About this Item
Title
- Leroy C. Bowen, Jr. Collection
Names
- Bowen Jr., Leroy C.
- Mahal, Arjit S.
Home State
- New Jersey
Headings
- - Bowen Jr., Leroy C.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Coast Guard.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Coast Guard
- Unit of Service: Landing Craft Infantry Large (LCI-L) 83
- Location of Service: Atlantic City, New Jersey; South Hampton Coast Guard Radio Station, Long Island, New York; Dartmouth, England; Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
- Highest Rank: Radioman Third Class
- Dates of Service: 1942-1946
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-07-31)
- Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2000-04-05)
- Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [4 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Printed matter [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2004-07-31)
- Photograph: Photocopy of Photographic Print [5 items] -- Photograph (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/17142
Cite as
- Leroy C. Bowen, Jr. Collection (AFC/2001/001/17142), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- online text
- image
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Dartmouth, England
- Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
- South Hampton Coast Guard Radio Station, Long Island, New York