Jann Scotts Journal: December 7 1941 71 years later : My dad landed on Omaha Beach on D-day plus 14
Dec 9th
Jann Scott’s Journal is the story and life of Boulder Icon and talk host Jann Scott. He has been in print, on radio and on TV in boulder since 1989. Some consider him the voice of Boulder’s soul.
“President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
I had written about this previously in My Life in Boulder
My Father Joseph M Scott I would be 102 if he were still alive today, but he was there on the beaches of Normandy on June 20th 1944.
“Oh I was in the war alright and I wasn’t in the rear with the gear either. I was right up front in the fighting getting shot at everyday. I was a dog face private first class. They tried to make me a Sargent . I didn’t want any part of it. I was 31 years old, while most of the guys were in there 20’s . I mean, Christ guys my age were Majors and Colonels. When I joined I was president of a company. I had a business, a wife and a family and I wanted to get back to them. So I was mostly concerned with staying alive. Yes, they wanted me to go to Officers Candidate school, but that meant I would have to stay in for another year. I didn’t know if I was going to get out of there alive. A lot of guys I was with were getting killed. Eventually I did get wounded and that was bad enough. I was in hospital for 6 months and it took me a few years to convalesce.
What was it like ? You don’t want to know about that. All you need to know is that a lot of men went there to do a job to rid the world of the scourge and get back home. That’s what we did. There was no glory in it.There was just a lot of pain and suffering that I never want you to see.”
My Dad did join Patton’s 3rd Army on August 1 and was soon wounded in the push across France. He never liked to talk about it, but he was a real war hero. He had ribbons and medals. He qualified expert in the M-1 carbine, M-1 Garand, The BAR, the 38 and the 1911 Colt 45. He was dead shot and everybody wanted to be with him. He did become squad leader and was awarded a battlefield officers commission just before he was wounded. He insisted on turning it down but to no avail. However, he refused to sew on his 2nd LT bar. “Hell no I didn’t want to become an officer. They are the first person the Germans killed.” But the Army forced it on him after all of the officers in his company were killed.
The war had a bad effect on him. He saw a lot of killing. One thing that troubled him were all of the civilians who were wandering, starving and lost. “You are so lucky to live in America”, You never had to live through that. ”
I know I am. We all are. God bless you dad and thanks for your sacrifice.
Jann Scott’s Journal
Boulder, Colorado
In the heart of America
We want a war Between Israel and Gaza right now!!
Nov 21st
Jann talks about doing a live TV show from a Droid in his car on Justin TV. This show is about Gaza and Israel on Thanks Giving Eve. When are we going to have bombs, death, blood, invasion ?? We need a good war/ Better than football !
