This is Elijah Barnum's story in his own words:

“I enlisted at Enid, Oklahoma 25th October 1940. After recruit training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, I was assigned to Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division. I trained as a telegraph operator. I did not like this so I transferred to motor pool. I was assigned as a driver for a S–3 or supply officer of division headquarters-Major Hamby. After about eighteen months, I transferred to A.T. Company (anti-tank Co.). I trained in this company as a mine detector demolition expert. We trained at Ft. Sam Houston and Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. I was shipped overseas from Camp McCoy and arrived in Northern Ireland. I spent about nine months in northern Ireland, then my division was sent to Wales. While in Wales, I was transferred to Weymonth, England to 146th Combat Engineers for D Day as a demolition expert. I landed on Omaha Beach on D Day June 6, 1944. The 146th Combat Engineers were in the second wave three minutes behind the first and 29th divisions, the assault divisions. We landed on the beach at about 6:33 AM. Our job was to blow 50 yard gaps in mine fields on the beach so that ships could land supplies. Each crew consisted of 105 men. We had to blow four different rows of obstacles. We were “sitting ducks” while we blew up these obstacles-with no protection. We lost 55 men the first three hours of combat. I was wounded on June 7 or D day + 1 from the back blast of an 88 mm cannon. The soldier next to me was killed. His body shielded me from being killed. I saw dead bodies on D Day so thick that you could step from body to body. About June 16, I was assigned back to A.T. company. When I saw my old company commander on the beach on D-Day + 3 (June 9), he said that if any one of his command gets to go back to the states, I would be the first one. About June 16th, I was promoted from private to sergeant (Battle Field Commission) as squad leader. On July 24, I was awarded the Bronze Star for saving my platoon leader’s life under a mortar barrage. His name was Lieutenant Gerke. During this barrage, the detector was cut out of my hands and “Ole Lige” didn't get a scratch. I was in Normandy, Brest, the Breakthrough, and Germany campaigns. I am proud that I can wear the Bronze Star with 3 stars, the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, etc. After the break through, I was assigned acting platoon sergeant. We were the first division to cross the Remgaden Bridge before it collapsed Rhine River). After crossing the Rhine, I was the first man from my company to get to come back to the states. My company commander, Captain Arms, promised me this on D Day +3. Out of the original 36 men in my platoon, there were three (3) of us left when I came back to the states. After I was discharged, dad told me that he knew that I was in the invasion and that I was alright. There is an old saying, “There are no atheists in fox holes.” All through my days of combat all all through my days of combat, I knew that there was Somebody holding my hand, including Dad."

-Elijah Barnum

Elijah Barnum (1920)