of Minneapolis. After graduating from Chaska High School in May 1940, Bill became
employed with Minneapolis Moline, a manufacturer of farm tractors, during 1941.
He was employed at Minneapolis Moline when he joined the Navy during December, 1942.
Bill took his boot camp at Farragut, Idaho then later transferred to other training bases, in
Michigan, Florida, Virginia and Lido Beach, Ca for additional training.
After completion of school he was shipped to Devon, England, where he became assigned
to LST 133.
Aboard LST 133, Bill and the crew practiced dry-runs off the southern coast of England throughout the spring of 1944.
On the evening of June 5, 1944, LST 133 with Bill aboard, set out from Southampton, England,
the destination, Omaha Beach to participate in the initial invasion of France.
Omaha Beach was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of
German-occupied France in the Normandy landings, during World War II.
The beach is located on the coast of Normandy, France, facing England, and is 5 miles long,
from east of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to west of Vierville-sur-Mer.
Landings were selected here in order to link up the British landings to the east at Gold Beach
with other American landings to the west at Utah Beach.
LST 133 had a priority load...tanks and guns for the First Army.
Upon arrival on June 6, 1944, confusion and disorder surrounded Omaha Beach,
floating mines cluttered the waters, planes and artillery fire covered the skies,
and fortified gun emplacements guarded the shoreline.
The enormous amount of bodies on the beach, caused an immediate delay for their landing.
On June 7, 1944, LST 133 set the mark, the first Landing Ship Tank on bloody Omaha Beach.
Undaunted by the enemy's blanketing shellfire and persistant aerial bombardmont,
LST 133 hit the beach and was all alone. …Seabees cleared the mines in front
of the unloading ramp. The equipment then rolled off the ramp onto land. In addition to
delivering the priority cargo, LST 133 took on board sixty three casualties for the return
voyage to England. Bill and LST 133 returned to Plymouth, England, unloaded its wounded,
took on new equipment and hurried back to Normandy on July 8, 1944. This trip went without
major incidents.
On July 15, 1944, the third trip across the channel, major disaster was experienced as LST 133
hit a German acoustic mine, causing major damage to the stern of the ship.
Bill was in his bunk at that moment, but could hear the cries for help and rushed to assist men
who were injured from the blast.
One shipmate, Jack Lannan, whom Bill attempted rescue, lost his helmet. Bill recovered his helmet and
saved it for many years, unaware if the man had survived. Bill later returned the helmet at a
LST 133 reunion, fifty years later. The man had lost his leg, but was otherwise fine.
Fortunately, Bill was not at the rear area of the ship when the mine hit, therefore, he was one of
only eleven men to walk off the ship unassisted. After the mine explosion, at the request of the
Commander, LST 133 was towed to Omaha beach to complete their assignment.
After waiting for high tide to arrive, the load was emptied and LST133 was towed
back to Southampton, England, then later to Barry, Wales for temporary repair which
allowed it to return to New Jersey for major overhaul.
Bill was then assigned Boat duty on a small landing craft, delivering more men to the beaches
of Normandy from larger ships. When the guy originally assigned to drive the landing craft
onto the Omaha Beach, was scared out of his mind, and said he couldn't do it,
Bill took over and drove it onto the beach.
After completion of Boat Duty, Bill was assigned to the USS Appalachian, at Devon, England, where
he sailed to Cuba, the Panama Canal, Hawaii and later participated in the battle of Okinawa
and later on to Tokyo, Japan.
Bill returned home in January 1946 and was discharged from the Navy during February 1946.
He reclaimed his job at Minneapolis Moline, which he held prior to the service.
On January 26, 1946, Bill stopped for lunch in a small resturant, which resulted in meeting
his future wife Rose Christianson.
