“I Wanted to Fight for My Country”

Scholastic News: Why did you sign up to fight?

Frank DeVita: I was 17. I had to get my mom’s permission. I enlisted because I remembered Pearl Harbor. I wanted to get in the service and fight for my country.

SN: On D-Day, you were in one of the first boats to land on Omaha Beach in Normandy. What was that like? 

FD: I’ll be honest with you, I was scared. Everybody was scared. The Germans had 33 machine guns where the water meets the sand, and they were firing at us. 

My job was to drop the ramp on the front of the boat. But I didn’t want to drop it, because the bullets were bouncing off it. I knew once the ramp was open, the bullets would come into the boat. I dropped the ramp, and just like I thought, the bullets came in, and 14 to 15 guys died. 

SN: How would you describe the scene on the beach? 

FD: It was pandemonium. People were screaming and crying. The bullets were like a swarm of bees around your head. Somehow, they missed me. I was very fortunate.

Scholastic News: Why did you sign up to fight?

Frank DeVita: I was 17. I had to get my mom’s permission. I enlisted because I remembered Pearl Harbor. I wanted to get in the service and fight for my country.

SN: On D-Day, you were in one of the first boats to land on Omaha Beach in Normandy. What was that like? 

FD: I’ll be honest with you, I was scared. Everybody was scared. The Germans had 33 machine guns where the water meets the sand. They were firing at us. 

My job was to drop the ramp on the front of the boat. But I didn’t want to drop it, because the bullets were bouncing off it. I knew once the ramp was open, the bullets would come into the boat. I dropped the ramp, and just like I thought, the bullets came in. Fourteen to 15 guys died. 

SN: How would you describe the scene on the beach? 

FD: It was pandemonium. People were screaming and crying. The bullets were like a swarm of bees around your head. Somehow, they missed me. I was very fortunate.

SN: How did you feel when the war was over? 

FD: I was in Europe when Germany surrendered. We felt very good, but then they shipped me out to the Pacific. When Japan surrendered, we were very happy.

SN: You received several awards for your military service. Do you consider yourself a hero? 

FD: No, no, no. In Normandy, right above Omaha Beach, is a big cemetery. And in that cemetery, there are 9,400 people who died in Normandy. Those are my heroes. I’m not a hero. I’m a survivor. 

SN: What do you want kids today to know about the war? 

FD: What we were fighting for was freedom. Kids have to understand there is nothing better than your freedom. When you’re free, the whole world is at your fingertips.

_{Note: The interview has been edited and condensed by the editors of Scholastic News.}

SN: How did you feel when the war was over? 

FD: I was in Europe when Germany surrendered. We felt very good, but then they shipped me out to the Pacific. When Japan surrendered, we were very happy.

SN: You received several awards for your military service. Do you consider yourself a hero? 

FD: No, no, no. In Normandy, right above Omaha Beach, is a big cemetery. And in that cemetery, there are 9,400 people who died in Normandy. Those are my heroes. I’m not a hero. I’m a survivor. 

SN: What do you want kids today to know about the war? 

FD: What we were fighting for was freedom. Kids have to understand there is nothing better than your freedom. When you’re free, the whole world is at your fingertips.

_{Note: The interview has been edited and condensed by the editors of Scholastic News.}

1. What was D-Day, and why was it important?

2. What details does Frank DeVita share that only a person who was part of the D-Day invasion could provide?

3. What does DeVita mean when he says, “I’m not a hero. I’m a survivor”?

1. What was D-Day, and why was it important?

2. What details does Frank DeVita share that only a person who was part of the D-Day invasion could provide?

3. What does DeVita mean when he says, “I’m not a hero. I’m a survivor”?