The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay29

Chuck Neighbor is 94 now and living at a retirement facility in Roanoke where he trudges around
on a walker.
"I'm pretty good at maneuvering this thing,"
he says, trying-with difficulty-to smile.
He lives with memories of the war, of being
wounded twice, of landing "knee deep in water"
with the famous 116th regiment of the 29th
Division at Omaha Beach, of carrying tanks and a
nozzle for his flamethrower. A few years ago, he
sat down in retirement and recounted his war
experiences in 381 pages, just nine of them dealing with June 6, 1944. But they were nine important pages.
"The night was more spectacular than the
Fourth of July. The artillery fire ahead, along
with flares and rounds of tracers from machine
guns, kept the sky aglow. All night long, troops,
trucks and guns moved past us going toward the
ever-advancing front. It certainly was apparent
that the beachhead had been established and
was growing steadily. Now, we appeared to be in
the rear in comparative safety. It had been a
long and harrowing day."

Neighbor was a teen-aged college freshman at
Emporia State in his native Kansas, washing
dishes to pay tuition, when he was drafted. "One
night I was listening to the radio and [President
Franklin] Roosevelt said he was going to have to
draft 18-year-olds." The call came shortly after
that. In January 1945, a large boat carrying troops,
the Isle de France, landed in Scotland and
Neighbor moved on to a base near the city of
Devonshire in Southwest England.
"It was so strange at first," he says. "I had 17
cents in my pocket when we landed."
The troops trained and waited and played cards
and went into town for "a few brews." They went
dancing. Neighbor had not been a drinker or
much of a dancer before Devonshire, but he
learned. He "got along well" with the British
townspeople and the period was relatively placid
as the 116th-now based in an old English fort-
trained for its inevitable mission.
The invasion day-actually black-dark 2
a.m.-came and "I felt as ready as I'd ever be,"
Neighbor says, matter-of-factly. He and his team
boarded their landing craft in choppy seas. He

Chuck Neighbor, while
training in Scotland, was
asked by a photographer
to dress up in Scottish
garb.

75TH ANNIVERSARY

29



http://Sherwoodmemorialpark.com

The Roanoker - March/April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - March/April 2019

The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - Intro
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - Cover1
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - Cover2
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 3
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 4
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 5
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 6
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 7
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 8
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 9
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 10
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 11
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 12
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 13
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 14
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 15
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 16
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 17
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 19
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 18
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 20
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 21
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 22
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 23
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 24
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 25
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 26
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 27
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 28
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 29
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 30
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 31
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 32
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 33
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 34
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 35
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 36
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 37
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 38
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 39
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 40
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 41
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 42
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 43
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 44
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 45
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 46
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 47
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 48
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 49
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 50
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 51
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 52
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 53
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 54
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 55
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 56
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 57
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 58
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 59
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 60
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 61
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 62
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 63
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 64
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 65
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 66
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 67
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 68
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 69
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 70 [71]
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 71
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 72
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 73
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 74
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 75
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 76
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 77
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 78
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 79
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 80
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 81
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 82
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay1
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay2
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay3
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay4
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay5
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay6
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay7
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay8
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay9
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay10
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay11
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay12
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay13
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay14
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay15
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay16
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay17
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay18
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay19
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay20
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay21
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay22
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay23
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay24
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay25
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay26
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay27
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay28
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay29
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay30
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay31
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - DDay32
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 83
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 84
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 85
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 86
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 120
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 88
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 89
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 90
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 91
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 92
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 93
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 94
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 95
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 96
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 97
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 98
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - Cover3
The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/the-roanoker-march-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/the-roanoker-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/RKRND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/RKRSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/TheRoanokerJA2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20210506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20210304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20210102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_2020_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/TheRoanoker_JulyAugust2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/TheRoanoker_MayJune2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_201402
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com