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pillboxes and artillery shelling, underwater mines, barbed wire, and trenches. His company's mission was to break up the enemy's fortified seawall and then liberate a village five miles inland. Half of his men were casualties and
Schroeder himself was shot twice in the left arm. He was hospitalized in England and later in South Carolina and almost had his arm amputated due to the severity of his wounds. Asked later if he knew that he was the first soldier on the beach, he said, "I knew my company was in the first wave, but I didn't know I was actually going to be the first ashore. Besides, I was too scared to think about it". Afterwards, he was hailed in a Pentagon press release as "the first GI to invade Europe".
374:
were 32 men, including
Brigadier General Roosevelt. He recalled to a television interviewer in 2008 that "80 percent of the guys on the boat were sick" due to the rough seas and, as his landing craft in the first wave neared the shore, Allied forces were still shelling Company F's designated landing site on Utah Beach. "They were dropping all those bombs on the place where we were going in" and his company had to disembark "without getting bombed by our own guys". Schroeder recalled years later that American air support was "running a little late and we were running ahead of time. They were dropping all those bombs on the place where we were going in," he said.
358:'s exhortation to the troops over the radio, "Together, we shall achieve victory". Afterwards, the company commanders were summoned by the 2nd Battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Carlton MacNeely, to Brigadier General Roosevelt's quarters for a final briefing before the invasion. When the meeting ended near midnight, Schroeder later recounted, the officers "wished each other well and shook hands", and MacNeely affectionately put his arm around Schroeder's shoulders, "Well, Moose, this is it. Give 'em hell!" Schroeder said they both "choked up" and he replied, "Well, colonel, I'll see you on the beach!" At 2:30 a.m. on June 6, Schroeder's company left the
455:, published June 2, 1994, profiled Schroeder's life and D-Day exploits. In an interview for the magazine article, he said, "Today, I realize that to be the first man ashore is an immense honor, yet I do not merit it more than anyone else. Five of my men died down there at Normandy. They alone are the heroes". An exhibit displaying Schroeder's D-Day invasion uniform, boots, and equipment, along with a narration of his D-Day experience recorded in his voice, was presented for many years at the old Armed Forces Military Museum in Largo, Florida. Shortly before his death from
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325:, had visited an ill Schroeder in an English hospital, urging him to get well quickly so that Roosevelt could ride in Schroeder's boat to the beach. Calling the young captain by his nickname, Roosevelt said. "Moose, you got to get out because I’m riding on your boat. I want you to get me on the beach in your boat when you go ashore".
381:
on his left shoulder while holding a .45-caliber pistol above the waist-high water, Schroeder waded the final 100 yards (91 m) from his landing craft to the beach, traversing the remaining distance as quickly as possible due to enemy fire. The soldiers encountered machine gun fire from German
373:
At 6:28 a.m., two minutes ahead of the time set as H-Hour, Schroeder's unit was in the first wave of 20 LCVPs to disembark on Utah Beach. Schroeder's own assault boat, commanded by navy
Lieutenant (j.g.) Abraham Condiotti of Brooklyn, New York, was the first to hit the beach. In his boat
304:, Georgia, until September 1943, when his division began training in Florida for assault landings using various amphibious craft. In January 1944, the Division left the U.S. and arrived in the south of England, where they continued practice amphibious landings in preparation for the unprecedented
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early on the morning of May 26, 2009, Schroeder reflected on his 30 years of military service to the nation, saying he still missed the comradeship and family-like brotherhood of army life. At televised ceremonies on June 6, 2009, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, the
416:
in 1950, he was an Air
Operations Officer, coordinating air support for ground forces and planning bombing strikes. After the Korean War ended in 1953, he participated in a British Staff College critique of World War II battle strategies. One of his fellow students was Israeli military leader and
44:
445:, Florida. On the 50th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion in June, 1994, he was feted in Normandy and featured on a French television broadcast describing his experiences that day as the first American to come ashore at Normandy. Produced by Jean-Christophe Giesbert,
283:
in the U.S. Army at the age of 22. In
December, 1941, he married the former Margaret Nicholson, whom he had met while in high school. The couple's first child, a son, was born the following year. They would later have two more children (a daughter and another son).
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On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Schroeder was a 25-year-old captain in command of the 219 men of
Company F of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. The 8th Infantry Regiment was ordered to make the initial D-Day landing on
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Armed Forces
Military Museum presented Schroeder's family with a plaque in his memory. The plaque displayed the insignia of the 19 Army divisions that landed on the Normandy beaches. He is interred at the
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After World War II, Schroeder remained in the army as a career officer, serving on active duty for 30 years. In the late 1940s, Schroeder lived with his family in Japan, where he was part of the
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in the late 1960s. He had frequent overseas assignments during the 1950s–1960s, including
England, Greece, and Turkey. In the U.S., he was stationed at
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where he played soccer and baseball. While captain of his high school's soccer team in 1936, they won the
Maryland state championship. He then attended the
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267:, Maryland, on July 16, 1918. Although bullied as a child, Schroeder became an outstanding athlete in high school, graduating in 1937 from nearby
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449:("The heroes of June 6: the landing of 1944"), is available in French on DVD. A 50th anniversary cover feature in the French magazine
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to face the enemy, Schroeder wrote a letter to his wife: "I told her where I was, what I was about to do, and how much I loved her".
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said of
Schroeder afterwards, "when his boot touched French soil, it was a great moment in history". He earned a
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539:"J'ai été le premier Américain à débarquer sur les plages (I was the first American to land on the beaches)"
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Following his retirement from the Army as a full colonel in 1971, Schroeder and his wife Margaret moved to
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in France. Leading the men of his company, Schroeder was the first American soldier to come ashore from a
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279:(ROTC). In June, 1941, Schroeder graduated from the University of Maryland and was commissioned as a
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during World War II, he commanded Company F of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment,
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As they sailed to France from England on the night of June 5 aboard the navy's
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Utah Beach: the amphibious landing and airborne operations on D-day, June 6, 1944
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1080:"Recollections — Firrst to storm the beaches of Normandy was a Marylander
805:"Lieutenant from Brooklyn Commanded First Invasion Boat in One Sector of Coast"
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946:(in French). LeHavre, France: Librairie La Galerne. 2002. Archived from
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468:, Florida, alongside his wife, Margaret, who died on January 8, 2010.
275:, on a full athletic scholarship. While there, he was enrolled in the
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during World War II, in addition to numerous other decorations.
597:"The first American to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day"
433:, Maryland (very near his boyhood home in Linthicum Heights).
730:"Largo Woman Honors Her Father And All The Heroes Of D-Day"
321:
as part of the invasion. Prior to D-Day, Brigadier General
235:, who served on active duty from 1941 to 1971. As a
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1064:Col . Leonard Schroeder remembering D-Day (audio)
758:. Mechanicsburg, Penna.: Stackpole. p. 187.
412:with the rank of Major. Upon the outbreak of the
970:"Les héros du 6 juin: Le débarquement de 1944"
780:"4th Infantry Division –Landing diagram"
704:"4th Infantry Division –Order of battle"
377:Leaving the lead landing craft and carrying a
354:, they heard Supreme Allied Commander General
263:Schroeder was born in the Baltimore suburb of
922:"2 Red Drives in Masan Area Halted by GI's".
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1117:United States Army personnel of World War II
928:. August 28, 1950. p. 2 – via AP.
872:"First Soldier to Hit Beach Remembers D-Day"
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618:"Capt. Schroeder Won Athletic Honors Here".
447:Les héros du 6 juin: Le débarquement de 1944
1152:University of Maryland, College Park alumni
1075:D-Day Exhibit, Armed Forces Military Museum
1024:. Largo, Fla.: Armed Forces Military Museum
900:. University of Maryland. November 11, 2004
227:(July 16, 1918 – May 26, 2009) was a
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684:. U.S. Army. August 2006. pp. 10–12
499:"For Largo man, D-day is like yesterday"
996:"Local museum honors a soldier's first"
816:United States Office of War Information
784:D-Day: Normandy 1944 – Utah Beach
708:D-Day: Normandy 1944 – Utah Beach
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547:(in French) (864): 64–70. June 2, 1994.
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972:(in French). Amazon.fr. Archived from
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1046:(Television broadcast). Tampa, Fla.:
940:"Le 60e anniversaire du DĂ©barquement"
898:"Maryland's WWII Profiles in Courage"
679:"4th Infantry Division—Brief history"
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421:. Later, Schroeder served during the
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1122:Burials at Florida National Cemetery
563:Wallsten, Peter (November 8, 1995).
273:University of Maryland, College Park
225:Leonard Treherne "Max" Schroeder Jr.
565:"The undercurrent was always peace"
728:Cintron, Veronica (June 6, 2019).
25:
1157:People from Glen Burnie, Maryland
497:Lee, Demorris A. (June 6, 2008).
1112:Military personnel from Maryland
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642:"1944: First ashore at Normandy"
640:McCardell, Paul (June 4, 2006).
277:Reserve Officers' Training Corps
214:
202:
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48:As a captain during World War II
1132:People from Linthicum, Maryland
595:Patrick, Craig (June 6, 2019).
36:Leonard Treherne Schroeder Jr.
1:
1142:Recipients of the Silver Star
296:, Schroeder was stationed at
849:. June 11, 1944 – via
650:. p. 1G. Archived from
247:on June 6, 1944, landing on
27:American soldier (1918–2009)
1147:United States Army officers
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1137:People from Largo, Florida
754:Balkoski, Joseph (2005).
462:Florida National Cemetery
106:Florida National Cemetery
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339:, six months after D-Day
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18:Leonard T. Schroeder Jr.
829:(subscription required)
366:. Before departing the
269:Glen Burnie High School
255:in the D-Day invasion.
417:future prime minister
340:
323:Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
1127:Deaths from emphysema
841:"The Number One Boys"
437:Later years and death
331:
294:4th Infantry Division
241:4th Infantry Division
133:Years of service
1069:St. Petersburg Times
950:on November 28, 2008
846:Atlanta Constitution
570:St. Petersburg Times
504:St. Petersburg Times
356:Dwight D. Eisenhower
1002:. November 11, 2008
818:(OWI). June 8, 1944
654:on October 21, 2012
621:Baltimore News Post
404:Postwar army career
944:Dossier thématique
812:The New York Times
364:LCVP landing craft
341:
233:United States Army
212:
127:United States Army
101:Place of interment
1085:The Baltimore Sun
925:The Baltimore Sun
765:978-0-8117-0144-0
647:The Baltimore Sun
410:occupation forces
385:The Baltimore Sun
306:Normandy Landings
281:second lieutenant
265:Linthicum Heights
245:Normandy Landings
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160:Normandy Landings
77:Linthicum Heights
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599:. Fox13 News
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155:World War II
151:Battles/wars
89:(2009-05-26)
87:May 26, 2009
29:
1107:2009 deaths
1102:1918 births
423:Vietnam War
394:Bronze Star
390:Silver Star
298:Camp Gordon
288:Army career
259:Early years
197:Bronze Star
185:Silver Star
175:Vietnam War
54:Nickname(s)
1096:Categories
1000:Bay News 9
822:January 5,
732:. BayNews9
472:References
431:Fort Meade
414:Korean War
319:Utah Beach
249:Utah beach
171:Korean War
165:Utah Beach
113:Allegiance
70:1918-07-16
904:April 25,
577:August 5,
457:emphysema
427:Fort Knox
1044:Good Day
1006:March 4,
980:March 4,
954:March 4,
882:March 4,
789:March 5,
713:March 5,
688:March 5,
658:June 16,
510:March 3,
466:Bushnell
121:Service/
1048:WTVT-TV
1028:June 6,
736:June 6,
603:June 6,
368:Barnett
360:Barnett
347:Barnett
336:Barnett
302:Augusta
300:, near
243:in the
237:captain
231:in the
229:colonel
145:Colonel
762:
396:, and
181:Awards
123:branch
808:(PDF)
682:(PDF)
443:Largo
94:Largo
59:Moose
1030:2009
1008:2009
982:2009
956:2009
906:2009
884:2009
876:WTVT
824:2021
791:2009
760:ISBN
738:2019
715:2009
690:2009
660:2009
605:2019
579:2020
512:2009
345:USS
334:USS
332:The
141:Rank
84:Died
64:Born
464:in
452:VSD
57:Max
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
