World War II Honoree

Harold Beal

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Southwest Harbor, Maine

Honored By

Nathaniel R. Fenton

HE ENLISTED IN THE NAVY IN DECEMBER, 1942 AT THE AGE OF 17. HE TRAINED IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, CAMP BRADFORD, VIRGINIA AND THEN IN THE AMPHIBIOUS FORCES AT FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA. HE SHIPPED OUT FROM NEW YORK CITY IN OCTOBER, 1943 ON THE RMS SCYTHIA LANDING IN BELFAST, IRELAND. HE UNDERWENT FURTHER TRAINING IN LANDING CRAFT VEHICLE PERSONNEL (LCVP) AT FOWEY, CORNWALL COUNTY, IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND. FOR D-DAY HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO WEYMOUTH WHERE HE EMBARKED FOR FRANCE, HE WAS THE GUNNER’S MATE ON THE 36’ HIGGINS LANDING CRAFT WHICH CARRIED 36 INFANTRYMEN AND A CREW OF 4. AFTER PICKING UP THEIR TROOPS FROM THE TROOP TRANSPORT, THEY HEADED FOR OMAHA BEACH IN A LARGE V WITH THE OTHER LCVP’S, LCM’S, AND LCI’S. HIS SHIP WAS HIT BY ENEMY FIRE AND ON A SECOND TRIP INTO THE BEACH ON ANOTHER LCVP, HE WAS STRANDED ON THE BEACH. BY THE END OF THE DAY HE HAD MADE IT UP THE BANK TO SAFETY. HIS NEXT DUTIES INCLUDED FERRYING PRISONERS OF WAR FROM THE BEACH TO PASSENGER SHIPS. IN THE COURSE OF HIS DUTIES, HIS LEG FELL BETWEEN 2 DOCKED LCM’S AND HE WAS INJURED, REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION IN A FIELD HOSPITAL AT OMAHA BEACH AND FINALLY TRANSPORTED ON A HOSPITAL SHIP BACK TO THE U.S. IN DECEMBER, 1944. AFTER HIS RECOVERY, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO NEW ORLEANS AND THEN TO HOUSTON, TEXAS WHERE HE SUPERVISED THE INSTALLATION OF GUNS ON LIBERTY SHIPS, AND THEN FINISHED UP HIS WARTIME SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI REPAIRING GUNS ON TANKERS.