June 6, 1944: Soldier who trained at Camp Gordon first on Normandy Beach on D-Day

JUNE 6, 1944

The American soldier said to be the first to hit the Normandy beach during the D-Day invasion was Capt. Leonard Schroeder Jr., who had trained at Augusta's Camp Gordon.

While he was making history the morning of June 6, 1944, his wife, Margaret, and young son were at their home in North Augusta, safe and unaware of his historic action.

A Maryland native who would retire as a decorated Army colonel, Schroeder was part of the 4th Infantry Division that came ashore on Utah Beach.

In interviews before his death in 1990, he said the pilot of the landing craft told him because he was first, he could return home to sell war bonds.

Schroeder did return to the United States within months, but it was to recover in a Charleston hospital from serious wounds. While there, he took part in a WGAC radio broadcast describing his role.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: June 6, 1944: Augusta soldier first on Normandy Beach on D-Day