For Sixty Years He Told No One. An Oral History Project with World War II Veteran Harold Beal

Harold Beal was a World War Two veteran from South West Harbor, Maine. Mr. Beal died at the age of 94 on April 10, 2020 after a courageous battle with pneumonia. He was born in October of 1925. Mr. Beal enlisted at the age of 17, serving as a gunner's mate in the United States Navy from December 10th, 1942- March 8, 1946. This 48 minute interview includes Mr. Beal leaving Maine for boot camp in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 17, his time on different ships and training in southern England. Mr. Beal was also a part of the amphibious invasion of Normandy, France in June, 1944. Mr. Beal saw first hand the brutality caused by the invasion and it is not an easy story to tell. The interview was conducted by New England School of Communications students Hannah Billings, Jesse Bunde, and Nelson Perez. The interview was part of the journalism class Producing and Hosting Radio Public Affairs taught by journalism instructor Jeffrey Hope at the New England School of Communications. We would like to thank Mr. Harold Beal for his time. Below is a log of the interview if you want to watch a specific section of the interview. :00 Purpose of Interview, Introductions of Interviewer Hannah Billings, videographer Larry Ayotte at the New England School of Communications, Bangor, Maine 1:00 Harold Beal, Born October 27,1925, Southwest Harbor, Service, Navy Sailor 1:40 Volunteered and joined the Navy 2:00 Shipped off to boot camp at age 17, to Newport, RI, 12 weeks 2:45 Mr. Beal explains times spent on various boats and ships while in the Navy including the Higgins landing craft. 4:45 “What were your responsibilities as a gunner’s mate?" 5:15 Training in southern England, Foy, Cornwall County, winter, 1943 5:50 Time in between training in southern England and the driving the Higgins landing craft for the invasion on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, June 1944 6:15 Learning each other’s roles on the boat and Navy training. 7:15 “We did not know exactly where we are going or when we were going.” 7:45 Thoughts the night before leaving for Omaha beach 7:50 Turning 18 in the middle of the ocean 8:00 Mr. Beal's experience landing on Omaha Beach Normandy, France June 6th, 1944 9:00 “What was it like for you storming the beach?” 11:15 Only 4 men survive when shell hits his Higgins landing craft. 12:47 “You grow up quick.” 13:14 Job on the Higgins landing craft 15:40 The Higgin’s landing craft 17:00 Transportation of prisioners of war; wounded soldiers, supplies 18:10 Mr. Beal injured his leg 18:46 Living on anchored ferry boat off the beach in Southern Europe 19:00 Meeting German prisoners of war. 21:15 “What were the prisoners like?” 22:15 “What about the Higgin’s boat made it so great?” 25:20 Bringing prisoners of war to the U.S. 28:20 “I was one of the first ones on the beach and one of the last ones off.” 29:00 Coming back home to the U.S. in New York in 1944 30:00 Lives in private home in New Orleans, Louisiana because there was no barracks 30:24 Work in Houston Texas at the ship yard on Liberty Ships 31:25 Volunteered at night for the USO 33:20 Meeting Andrew Jackson Higgins, designer of the Higgins Landing Craft 34:30 “What do you two talk about?” 35:45 Discharged March 8, 1946 36:00 Problems with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 36:20 Surgery on the same day as the Korean War broke out, kept him out of that war 36:50 Got a job driving trucks, primarily to stay away from people 37:30 “How did your parents react when you came home?” 38:14 Had a knee replacement 38:40 “How long after you had got home did you meet your wife, or did you know her prior?” 39:00 Married in June 1946 39:15 Living with PTSD “I didn’t talk much and my kids were scared of me.” 40:00 Joins a PTSD group in Bangor, ME 40:45 Volunteering at the Cole Land Transportaion Museum in Bangor, ME 44:00 “What is the most common question that the kids ask you?” 44:58 “What are your thoughts about military service today and the time that you serviced?” 47:38 Final thoughts 48:55 Interview ends