Oral history interview with Francis C. O'Donnell, 2001.

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O'Donnell, Francis C., 1922-2011,. Oral history interview with Francis C. O'Donnell, 2001.

Oral history interview with Francis C. O'Donnell, 2001.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/75209134

Francis "Jack" C. O'Donnell, a Whitewater, Wisconsin native, discusses his career in the Army, including World War II service with the 18th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division in Africa and Europe. In 1938, O'Donnell talks about joining the 32nd Division of the Wisconsin National Guard at age fifteen and attending weekly meetings. He comments on the activation of his unit, mobilization at Camp Beauregard (Louisiana) and Camp Livingston, and being separated from the 32nd Division as a replacement when it was reorganized. O'Donnell speaks of his assignment to Company L of the 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division at the rank of corporal and being shipped to Great Britain. He touches on the reluctance of the Army officers to put a National Guard member in charge of a squad. He discusses his participation in the invasion of North Africa: landing in Oran (Algeria), the lack of opposition from the French, patrol duty at Majaz al Bab (Tunisia), stopping German Panzers at El Quatar, and being under a dive bomber attack. O'Donnell provides a detailed account of the attack near Mateur when he was wounded, including leading his squad to take Hill 407, tripping over a wire that triggered flares and land mines, being hit my machine gun fire, and being left by the German troops because he appeared dead. After crawling to cover in a field, he mentions warning the company commander not to go up on the hill and the commander's going up there anyway and getting killed. Helped to an aide station by two surrendering Germans, O'Donnell talks about receiving last rites from a chaplain, getting treatment for his twenty-six wounds at a field hospital, and recovering at the general hospital in Sidi Bel Abbes. O'Donnell comments on landing at Sicily, the effectiveness of American artillery fire against German tanks, the rough terrain, suffering from malaria, and hearing about the "slapping incident" involving General Patton. Shipped to Dorchester (England) for training, he describes the preparations for the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach. O'Donnell provides a detailed account of the invasion, including the gear he carried, surviving when his landing craft hit a mine, his feeling upon seeing an arm floating in the water, wading ashore amidst heavy gun fire, seeing stunned soldiers, working his way up the slopes, and the lessening of resistance beyond the beach defenses. He touches on dealing with his fear during combat and feeling fearless on D-Day, perhaps due to suffering a concussion. After three days of fighting, the 18th Regiment reached its objective and continued on to St. Lô. O'Donnell comments on constant action, getting little sleep, fighting in the hedgerows, and allowing a German soldier to shoot at him. O'Donnell describes earning his Distinguished Service Cross by helping take out a German machine gun after his squad was left behind by his company. After having a recurrence of malaria, he tells of going AWOL to rejoin his unit in Paris, where he saw the celebrations when the city was liberated, and he highlights being one of the first Americans in Jeumont (France). He portrays the muddy combat outside Aachen (Germany), being wounded by shrapnel, and taking thirty surrendering German soldiers prisoner outside the hospital. O'Donnell recalls convincing soldiers manning a pillbox to surrender and also taking a German field grade officer prisoner. He discusses seeing an Air Force plane crash and being sent to a hospital in Paris after being wounded in the knee. O'Donnell talks of his return trip to the United States, further medical treatment at Percy Jones Hospital (Battle Creek, Michigan), and a short R&R in Florida before his discharge. He comments on re-enlisting in 1947 and serving in Korea from 1947 to 1948 with a Graves Registration detachment. O'Donnell mentions the tense political situation and seeing bodies hanging from telephone poles. Sent to officer candidate school (OCS) at Fort Riley (Kansas), he discusses drinking a spiked drink and being robbed in Sacramento upon his homecoming, getting into an altercation with the police when they didn't help him, and resulting amnesia that caused him to go AWOL from OCS, for which he was court-martialed. O'Donnell comments on settling down with a family, duty as a Battalion Personnel Sergeant with the 124th Signal Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, writing to President Clinton to have the AWOL changed to sick leave, and retiring from the Army in 1962. O'Donnell touches upon his post-service employment, service related sicknesses and ruptured disc injuries, and membership in the Disabled American Veterans.

Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 100 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Videorecording : 1 videocassette (ca. 100 min.) ; sd., col. ; 1/2 in.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 100 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 49 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center