I served on the USS Rich DE 695 as Seaman 2/c in the Second Division under Lt. C. V. Ross for almost nine months and left the ship just before the invasion of Normandy.

    I was acquainted with a lot of the sailors including Ed Black. Besides myself there were two other sailors from Thomasville, NC. Carlie Black who died of his wounds on June 10, 1944 and Ralph Conrad who was paralyzed from the waist down and passed away about four years ago. After I was discharged from the Navy I joined the Thomasville Police and retired after 40 years and 4 months of service as Captain. That's it!