Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Mortimer M. Caplin Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: 7th Beach Battalion
- Location of Service: Omaha Beach, Normandy, France; European Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Senior Grade
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/68515
As a lawyer with a background in boxing and swimming, Lieutenant Senior Grade Mortimer Caplin brought a wide variety of skills to the Navy. After a stint doing investigative work at the Norfolk Navy Yards, he was assigned to the amphibious corps, and given a specialized role: that of beachmaster for the Normandy invasion. As such, he acted as a nexus between land and sea--coordinating the arrival of ships, clearing the beach of obstacles and debris (sometimes including the wounded), and generally orchestrating the ebb and flow of troops. Nights were spent in foxholes on the beach, dodging bombs dropped from German planes overhead. Following the invasion, he served as a legal officer in England, defending Navy enlisted men.
Interview / Recording
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PlayApplying for change of duty; hoping to be given shipboard duty; assigned to amphibious corps; beginning training to become beachmaster 00:22:00.6 - 00:24:40.9
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PlayRole of the beachmaster in the invasion 00:24:41.0 - 00:27:27.8
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PlayIntense pressure prior to invasion; went in on LST and not an LCI, as he had practiced; spending the night aboard the LST; did not land until June 7; near miss when German plane started bombing the ship. 00:43:50.2 - 00:48:35.1
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PlayGoing down cargo nets onto an LCVP; landing on the wrong sector of Omaha Beach; staying where he was 00:48:35.6 - 00:51:18.8
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PlayWitnessing unbelievable carnage on the beach; evaluating the situation; deciding to move bodies off the beach; importance of keeping things moving 00:51:45.4 - 00:53:50.4
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PlayTraining helped them deal with stress, seeing casualties; living on the beach; being strafed by Germans at night 00:54:15.9 - 00:56:31.8
About this Item
Title
- Mortimer M. Caplin Collection
Names
- Library of Congress
- Caplin, Mortimer M.
- Veterans History Project
- Wiener, Thomas J.
Home State
- Maryland
Headings
- - Caplin, Mortimer M.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
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: Navy
- Unit of Service: 7th Beach Battalion
- Location of Service: Omaha Beach, Normandy, France; European Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Senior Grade
- Dates of Service: 1942-1945
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran served as a US Navy Beachmaster with the 7th Beach Battalion on Omaha Beach.
Materials
- Video: MiniDV [2 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2009-12-29; 2009)
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2009-12-29; 2009-12-30)
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2009-12-29; 2009-12-29)
- Manuscript: Clippings [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2000-2009)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2005-02-09)
- Photograph: Digital print [10 items] -- Photograph (collected 1944-2009)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/68515
Cite as
- Mortimer M. Caplin Collection (AFC/2001/001/68515), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video