Maj. Gen. John Raaen, Jr., U.S. Army, WWII, D-Day & Normandy Part 2

Just before 8 a.m. on June 6, 1944, U.S. Army Captain John Raaen, Jr., of the 5th Ranger Battalion, landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy as the Allies launched their campaign to breach Adolf Hitler's Atlantic Wall and work to free Europe from Nazi tyranny. In our previous edition, Raaen, who is believed to be the last living American officer from Omaha Beach, described the extensive preparations for the D-Day landings, having his landing spot changed at the last minute, and how high tide and a beneficial brush fire on the bluff helped him and his men scale the bluffs above the Dog White sector of Omaha Beach.But that was just the beginning. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Raaen explains what his orders were after getting to the top of the bluff and how he temporarily found himself in command of more than a battlion of soldiers.He also describes a very close call in the days after Normandy, rousing a tank crew to help fight off a German counterattack, and being in the midst of a tragic case of friendly fire.Finally, Raaen, who retired as a major general, explains how he assembled his after action report on D-Day and how he views Hollywood depictions of D-Day, such as "The Longest Day," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Band of Brothers."This is the second of a three-part interview with General Raaen. In our third and final edition of the series, Raaen will take us inside the fight for Brest in the Battle of Brittany and his service near the Battle of the Bulge.