Bloody Omaha: Surviving Brutal Combat on Dog Red Sector | D-Day | Donald McCarthy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2023
- Donald A. McCarthy was drafted into the U.S. Army in July 1943, just after graduating from High School. After completing basic training McCarthy shipped overseas and was assigned to Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 116th Infantry, 29th Division.
Early on June 6th, 1944 McCarthy climbed down the ropes of the SS Empire Javelin into his LCA (Landing Craft Assault). Originally scheduled to land in the Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach, the British Coxswain saw the chaos on the beach and instead landed the men in the Dog Red sector where they were met with intense machine gun and artillery fire.
Through luck and determination McCarthy was eventually able to make his way up the beach and towards the Vierville Draw to reach his objective, the church in Vierville. He would be wounded on D-Day, but return to action in early July 1944.
Donald A. McCarthy passed away on August 1, 2017 at the age of 93
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Honestly, if that dead soldier had a say as to what to do with his body, given the circumstances and brutality of Omaha Beach, I think he'd be honored to have protected a brother soldier... I would want my body used for such a purpose.
100%, when I got shot in a close ambush I figured it was all over, and the only thought in my head was "Don't die before you clear the ambush, that way the dismount doesn't have to die too." No soldier ever really wants to die, but if/when that day comes you definitely want your pain/death to mean that somebody else to your left or right does not have to suffer too.
Same Same
his ghost laughing at and mocking the enemy as his corpse is a fortress of return fire. semper fi
Facts
Not that his body would have stopped a round from the machine guns, but if it could protect you from a bit of frag, you do what you have to
The greatest generation to have ever lived. Words will never be able to express the gratitude... Am I the only one who tears up when they do?
We get hit DEEP in the feels putting most of these videos together...such powerful stories.
I get genuinely depressed thinking about losing these men.
@@andrewk5705 hopefully you get out of it, this is deep stuff.
I can SAFELY bet, we will not have a Generation as great as these men, and the literal definition of *HELL* they went through, to come back, and raise pretty much Americas "best" economic time period(or atleast my opinion, A house, car and kids all affordable on a 1 wage income? Sounds unbelievable if we didn't have evidence it could actually happen).
Barring WW3, NOTHING will compare to that era, the things that forged, shaped, and molded those men into the greatest generation of America ever.
Hell, I doubt we will see anything close to America being "unified" in political mindset, only thing that came close was 9/11, and its a shame it takes something like Pearl Harbor, &/or 9/11/01 like events to bring people together, smh!
Enough of my rambling, I just sincerely hope that these men can/will/are resting in the peace they deserve!🙏
yes
I’m so glad these stories got captured. The greatest generation is almost all gone and it breaks my heart.
I have mixed feelings. A lot of them still suffer through these stories; in death they don't suffer any longer.
I was born in the US from parents that immigrated from Germany. So my grandparents obviously were German. My grandfather from my mother’s side was Wehrmacht and my grandfather from my dad’s side was a tank driver in the SS. They both survived the war. My grandfather That was in the SS never spoke about it. He was soft spoken and always very good to me. My grandfather in the Wehrmacht had lots of stories to tell and saved my mom from a concentration camp in Yugoslavia. I have fond memories of him as well visiting him in Stuttgart. I believe they were a great generation as well.
The greatest generation is today. The Ukrainians fighting Russia
@@cloudstreets1396my dad was Wehrmacht, gunner in a tank, and taken prisoner by the Tito forces in Yugoslavia at the end of the war. Who knows, maybe their paths crossed at one point or another
@@cloudstreets1396I was saying to my missus, that realistically. Depending where you’re born & what you’re brought up believing, what side is right & wrong in war can be debatable. Both sides believe they’re right
"...and that was it. That was my D-Day."
Sir you have done enough, and I am eternally grateful.
Thank you to all the veterans out there and I am truly grateful for your service
Thank you!
@Oliverdixon14 I am confused though. Why is your profile picture the flag of traitors to the United States of America then? The United States of America fought in world war 2 not the confederate states of America (because they didn’t exist anymore, because their slave owning butts lost the civil war lol)
It just seems hypocritical and disrespectful. If you’re gonna fly the confederate flag you should use the one they used at the end of the war. The white surrender one
I feel like I could talk to him for *days.* When you find a WWII vet who is this willing to talk so candidly… you can’t help but gravitate to them. It was only very late in life that I finally heard my grandfather speak about his time in WWII and Korea.
Some truly incredible human beings. Thank you for this. 🙏
And now look at what the generations of today are doing. They're destroying what these men built.
Not only that but damn he looks and talks amazing for his age. Sharp as hell.
How long till he stops marketing what happened?
PTSD is fictional.
This is when you pull out a recorder and get everything he says…
@@bunk95 what are you saying? Post traumatic stress disorder isn't fiction, you don't need to be in a war to get it, just traumatic experiences in general. Saying that a disorder is Fiction is like saying that small pox isn't a disease. Smh
My grandfather was there. He also said he took shelter behind a dead soldier, and then bummed a cigarette from him while he was there. He described the beach as it felt like "a bug crawling through a popcorn popper". He only talked about it twice to me.
Thanku for your grandfather service 🫡 Great welcome from Poland 🇵🇱🤝🇺🇲🇬🇧🇨🇵
Your grandfather was a Brave man . Sickening , disgraceful , unappreciative of the attitude of those yellow belly , snowflake , spoiled brats that think they DESERVE everything towards the Soldiers who kept those punks safe with some of the Soldiers loosing their lives , some being physically and some hurt with PTSD !!! I will and have said so to some people who don’t know how BLESSED they are !!!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
You must be very proud! God Bless America!!
Honestly, these War Veterans suffered so much. The few still alive are still hunted by the gory scenes they witnessed then .... especially on D-DAY. Maximum respect to these heroes including those who have passed away.🙏🏾🥺
A very articulate and sharp gentleman. You have my greatest respect from over here in the UK 🇬🇧 where you embarked from to fight for freedom 🇺🇸.
Me too! 👍
🇺🇸 🇬🇧
🇺🇸 🇬🇧
May god bless this courageous man’s day.
My grandfather was at Omaha Beach, part of the 29th infantry division. He was part of the first wave. He made it all the way to Germany until a landmine took out his platoon, wounding him. He always spoke highly of how disciplined the German army was and how hard they fought. He hated the French with a passion until the day he died.
He was very lucky to have survived the first wave. Wasn’t it like 80 or 90% of them were killed ?
My grandfather was in the 30th. He said the EXACT same thing about the Germans and the French.
Probably looked at the French the way our boys today consider the ANA. Worthless training.
@joshuamccune2695 My grandfather said the French would fire at you wearing German uniforms, causing American casualties, then immediately surrender once you gave them a receipt. He said the French would also radio their positions to the Germans for artillery.
@@jameselliott5315 I find this very interesting. I'd bet there was a lot of this "not as the story's told" type of stuff going on. I have my own theories. I'd bet that's why the soldiers, of whom many admit they were completely brainwashed, were told to never speak of the things they saw and did in the war. They didn't want to public to know.
The United States & many other countries salute you brave men. Don’t make me like you anymore! Freedom isn’t free 🇺🇸
My Grandfather was assigned to the 29th (116th Infantry, 2nd Battalion, H Company). He survived D-Day, but not the war. This interview “touched home” a little bit. Thank you Mr. McCarthy for everything you went through. My family has served and continues to serve to this day and is thankful for you sir. God Bless…..
My uncle was in the 29th 116th company F.
Thank you Sir.
You will never be forgotten.
I am French and i still wish i would be able to shake hand with a veteran.
God bless you,
Dieu vous bénisse
I'm an Iraq combat vet. I am humbled by this man's story. Much respect, Sir.
Speedoink- ahh notice he has a Scotland surname.- years ago our neighbour- Thomas Mc Niece use too come over too our home too watch the 6 p.m. news on out T.V. He allways had a black light shineing around his stocky body because he had ben badly shot on 15th march 1944 on castle Hill in Italy.- He use too show us kids the photos off the germen paratroopers that he killed and taken from their pockets. he won a Millitary Medal near monte cassino
Thank you for your service sir!!!
Iraq was/is such a waste of our troops. Never found any WMDs.
I always say, the last time we actually fought for our freedom was WWII. Everything else was a waste.
Durrrrrr Iraq "I sat in a base" durrrrr "I was in war" durrrrrr
@@Nobody-dc8dphey phuckface, believe it or not, not everyone was a fobbit in Iraq. Some units actually did get into some heavy firefights. Some lost multiple guys due to snipers, IEDs, RPGs, and gunfire. Fallujah and Ramadi were every bit as bad as any other urban war for the grunts that had to endure the worst parts of it. At any rate, one more intense war doesn't in any way lessen the impact of another war or lesser intensity. You sound like you've never done anything anywhere.
Sir, thank you for your service! 🇺🇲
What a story. This gentleman looks great for his age. He must be at least 98 years old but looks much younger.
He died in 2017 at the age of 93. Says in the video description.
It's truly amazing listening to these first hand accounts from soldiers telling their experience during D-day. These stories are very valuable and we can't forget them. We can't forget the cost of freedom. I commend this man for sharing as much as he did.
^^^This is our main goal at AVC^^^ Thank you for watching
Look what our Country has become , we have thrown away what they died for !!
@@skipjohnson7255unfortunately I have to agree with you. Sad
RIP Donald A. McCarthy thank you for your service.
What a well spoken veteran. His mind is still as sharp as it was when he was a younger. Beirut era was my time. Known a bunch of WW2 vets in my lifetime. True American patriots, I love all of you. Tremendous respect for the greatest generation. You need to mention these vets age so the new generations can relate. This man has to be 90 years old and looks to be in better shape mentally and physically than people 50 years younger than him.
Thank you for your service, with all my heart!
Hearing this man relive a nightmare is incredible. Soon enough, all the heroes of WW2 will all be gone. God bless this man for telling his story.
@@LF12468what?
Wished I would have spent more time talking to my grandpa about his time during the Korean War. Sometimes I think the Vets who are so willing to talk about their experiences live a lot longer without all that tremendous weight on their shoulders.
Yeah it’s hard to say, I am 33 and an army infantry vet if 9 years and I always thought about these guys and how if what I was doing was difficult or caused issues in life how must it have been for these guys. Ww2 would have been in insane thing to experience. There are just no words.
My football coach in high school was in the 82nd during Korea. I had no idea until I saw his obituary years later.
War is fictional. Wasnt he stopped from telling you about what was marketed as the Korea War?
Korean Veterans were Told NOT to Talk about it..Read " About Face " David Hackworth. Also Unit History are Available..
His memory is astounding. Always amazes me to watch these guys tear up at something that happened 80 years ago. Tells you how impactful these things were to them.
You never really forget a very traumatic experience in your life and their breed faced on of the most nightmarish hell in all of human history
Obviously lol you think someone is gonna forget soemthing that traumatizing?
@@jayo3074unless the old vets have alzmieter then he can’t remember
@@jayo3074
A lot of people do forget, or rather compartmentalize and block.
I have some I remember, and there are things I know I’m blocking.. just not ready to look yet.
You shouldn’t speak of something like this unless you are saying something worthwhile and not toxic.
@@freedfree7933 absolute rubbish.
Wow this makes me so emotional, truly the bravest men to ever live! Seeing that he passed in 2017 at 93... RIP to this man. I hope he was able to come to terms with the things he saw during the war and he has peace wherever he rests now.
bravest man to ever live? He did what he had to do to survive. It wasnt like you could swim back . Stuck on the beach , survive or die. No bravery involved. just reality
@@travisgoesthere I did not say him specifically lol. But yeah, I mean in all reality he could've hid in cover for most of the battle and he chose not to. So yeah, the reality is he was at war, and he chose to face it. And that takes bravery, no matter how you define it.
Still carrying his helmet...What a guy!
The Greatest Generation 🙌🏾...Absolute Respect Sir 🙏🏾 Thank You for your service
I really like this Channel. Thank you so much for this.
We owe this man and his fellows so much it's unbelievable. God bless him and all of them!!!
His son, Don, Jr., hired me in 2002, and I met Don, Sr. in the years following...
Thank you sir for what you did , no one should have to endure what you had to . My father fought in Europe but not at Normandy !
I saw a clip of a british veteran on a normandy beach during the 60 year anniversary. He said that over the years he had heard comments about GIs not being great soldiers...in his experience they were the bravest and best group of men he ever met...he would know....love and respect from the UK
How could one made to be thought of as a GI not be able to be also thought of as a great soldier?
...
Thank you for the post, absolutely appreciated.
Absolutely incredible to hear from this man and others in his generation. I hope and pray that I can live up to this man’s achievements and the achievements of those like him. God bless.
😕His achievements are those that we can only hope and pray we never have to repeat.
Thank you to this channel for giving our Veterans a voice so the rest of us can begin to understand that aspect of our freedom we have.
This channel should be a class you have to take in school.
You are doing such an important thing saving these stories for all time. These stories need to be heard by all generations....so that these terrible conflicts never happen again.
Keep up the great work, thank you.
Thank you, sir. You are a great American. 🌟
Never should this hero feel shame-considering what he said he couldn’t get over. He is a true American hero…
When he tears up I lost it. Thank you 🙏🏻
“I reached a point where I had to talk to God in a real hurry.” Heart wrenching.
Germans were speaking to the same god, and even had belt buckles with text "Gott mit uns". Catholic church struck deal with the %zis to help them gain power and haven't excommunicated %zi leaders for their crimes against humanity.
@@pavel9652 Makes sense when you consider that Roman Catholics are pagans larping as Christians, just like Nazi leadership.
I clicked on to tell whoever that this guy Is a true man in every sense of the word. Thank you for what you and your brothers did!!!.
This is some of the most brave young men of their time!! My Dad was in the Navy during the war. He was on the ships when they bombed Hiroshima. My Dad said if they hadn’t bombed them, he knew him and many other Americans we not make it home. He was always very emotional when talking about the war his whole life for his buddies that didn’t make it home:-(. I loved my Dad very much😞
Thank you for this interview.
Thanks to this man for kindly giving this interview.
Thank you for all your lifelong personal sacrifices that you and your company have made for the betterment of many lives. it is very much appreciated by myself and many more and always will be. Words cannot describe it
It's sad we're losing a lot of these great soldiers everyday from old age. I lost my dad in 2019 at the age of 100. What great men and women from the greatest generation. Thank you to all who served in world war 2.
Incredible! What a memory. This man said he could remember this day as if it were just yesterday. Many Thanks!
Yeah that’s called PTSD.. the victims of it remember all those extremely stressful moments
@@dm6801 - ahh hav 64 years off it and am on the mental health act 1992 here in new zealand.- had stress and hell in and out in 64 years.
Thank you so much for keeping our veteran's stories alive! I was wondering, does anyone at AVC read the comments to the veterans in the videos? Obviously only the positive ones should be conveyed to them. But I think it would be wonderful for these brave men to hear hundreds of comments expressing thanks and gratitude!
The clarity of so many veterans stories starts to sink in after a while. After 60, 70, 80 years the details and names they remember seem so vivid. As painful as it is to relive your war experience, thank you. You guys are around 100 years old now.
This man is very switched on for his age, you can see he hasn’t let the horrors of war strain his mind too much.
Definitely strong willed. My grandfather was in battle of the bulge came back home and drank himself to death.
@@waynelitchkowski2389he must have experienced some stuff
Thank You for documenting and sharing this So honestly.
Me and my Family have the Upmost Respect for you and your incredible Sisters and Brothers that served !!!
Thanks for watching! We try to let the guys and gals speak for themselves because their stories are so personal and can have a deep impact on us today/in the future.
Thank you for sharing Mr. McCarthy's story. I'm glad he was able to, even through the emotional intensity of it.
Such amazing stories from WW2. Both of my grandfathers fought. One was in Iwo Jima, and the other drive tanks through North Africa and Italy. They never talked much about their experiences before they passed, so I always appreciate hearing these accounts of soldiers’ personal stories.
The youth of today have no idea what these heroes did for us 😢
As a seventeen-year-old, I agree. Kids these days don't seem to appreciate the sacrifice.
Like any generation, the ones that care know.
I'm a veteran of Grenada and Beirut. I'm proud to have served. My Grandfather was a WWII VETERAN and I heard several stories of him going through similar things. Much respect and appreciation. Thank you for your service and God Bless America.
Respect to Mr. McCarthy and all those who served on D-Day 🫡
29th Division - very brave men against impossible odds. Glad you survived Don. Sounds like you led an honorable life.
this guy and his story were one of the most interesting from World War 2 ive heard ever! thanks for uploading this
I'll sit and listen to those that are left and learn as much as possible. Thank you all for your service, myself, my children and grandchildren are grateful
Thank you so much for sharing this.
I'm grateful to have met a world 2 veteran. He taught me simple proper etiquette. I never forgot this..having grown up with none. Thank you!
Mr. McCarty, thank you for sharing your experience with us. It is incredibly courageous to relive the horrors you witnessed but very much appreciated.
Many thanks for this video!
Donald A. McCarthy passed away on August 1, 2017 at the age of 93
May he rest in eternal peace.
Condolences to all.
I knew Donald...
His son, Donald Jr., hired me and he became the best friend in my life...
Love them both...
Thank you for sharing this important history
Thank you for sharing your story
Thank you so much for your service my friend!! My family and i love all of you who fought for us! We can’t ever repay you guys for this but we can continue to make videos like this and show just how much a soldier like this man went threw!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Take any hat off every time for every veteran. You’re the definition of a hero, with every soldier next to you. One love ❤️.
Him lighting up talking about his helmet is pretty awesome for some reason...
Thank you to all the veterans who fought to keep liberty for all!
Glad you lived to share your memorys sir. And those that didn't make it, live on through the memorys you share. X
Thank you 🙏 so much for your bravery to you all men and women for this honorable event, thank u for being brave and sharing this amazing story ❤️🙏🇺🇸
What an enormously kind and gentle bloke. What a generation that was, will never see their like again, especially these days where the world seems to be made of pure stupid.
Thank you
Thanku for your service Sir 🫡Great honor to heard u alive. Great welcome from Poland 🇵🇱🤝🇺🇲
Fantastic video thank you.
Thank you for watching!
THANK YOU, SIR!
AND SO MANY OTHERS!
The greatest generation. Respect. Lots if it. From Finland. War is hell.
Thank you, sir!
Dude breaking his leg probably saved his life
Thank you for your service
I was a Corpsman for the Marines . We were always taught that when under direct fire to put the injured man between us and the line of fire. My Marines always gave me shite when we were in war games.
Wow, that’s cold. Dead is one thing, but injured is another.
Thank you.
thanks for relieving this for us
🙏🏻✨
Thank you so much for your service and lovely dedications to Our Beautiful USA Dear American Sir.🥰😍🤗🙏❤🤍💙🇺🇲💪🏻👍🎊🎉
I stop trying to either imagine what these guys went through or use words to describe it. It’s on another level that I can’t comprehend.
Its incredible to hear these firsthand accounts. Too many of these heroic men are dying off and not enough people are listening to these important stories. God bless this man, God bless the men that stormed the beaches of Normandy, especially those who fell in combat. They really are heros. If not for them, half of the world may be speaking German today.
He was definitely from Massachusetts. God bless him and his family.
And how so
Thank you Sir!
Thank you good sir. Thank you.
Four years ago, I spent a very long day visiting Omaha beach. These stories hit different once you’ve walked that silt sand death trap. I always strongly recommend you go.
This man is so sharp and switched on! What a legend!
My late wife's grandfather landed with the second rangers....all these men deserve our gratitude....I also had a great uncle who was a pow in Germany at some point during the war...truly the greatest generation...thank you.....
Trump prefers Great Uncles that WER'ENT captured, OK? VOTE ACCORDINGLY!
No. You're NOT the only one to tear up. I'm retired USN submarines. My war was the Cold War and the Middle East wars that began while I was active duty. Despite what I experienced, there's NOTHING I went through that even compares. These men are TREASURES!!!!!
Thank you all veterans out there. You guys are the best
Truly the greatest generation ever.
I’m glad that we have had this generation. And to know I’m not the only one who’s felt so fortunate to have conversations with them.
Thanks for being there.
I talked to a vet once who said he had a Sargent Major (Canadian) that during a 88 bombardment stood up in the field that was being shelled as they hid and yelled for them to move forward…BALLS OF STEEL…we owe them our lives!
Im thankkful this man carried his helmet with him. A stark reminder of his sacrifice. An item proving his memory and existence. I hope it sits in a Beautiful spot in a well funded museum these days.. RiP