Bristol Veteran Joe D’Emidio Recalls D-Day Landing

Joe D’Emidio and his four brothers served in World War II: Bernard (submariner in the U.S. Navy), Carl (U.S. Coast Guard), Gene (U.S. Army), and Arthur (U.S. Navy). All survived the war, but today, 75 years after D-Day, only Joe survives. But on D-Day, Joe and Arthur were crew members on different landing crafts departing from different ships.

Their most treacherous assignment came on June 6, 1944, D-Day.

On that day, the familiar oblong landing crafts would be dropped into the water. The landing craft crews would sail over to the troop-transport ships to pick up the soldiers to get them to the beaches of Normandy.

“We started out at 6 a.m. in bad weather and choppy water. Some of the soldiers were sick, many were nervous. But once close to shore we’d drop the ramp and they scrambled off,” D’Emidio said.

Even as many of the 34 soldiers disappeared under the surf, the Picadilly Commando reversed course to pick up more troops.

The crew of four (D’Emidio, the gunner; a coxswain, a motorman, and a signalman), traveled back and forth, transporting servicemen for a week, he said.

Related: Bristol D-Day Veteran Art Cammarota: ‘For Some Reason, I Was Never Afraid’

They later transported German prisoners to offshore ships and carried supplies, including a load of Hershey Bars and cigarettes back to shore. At night, the Picadilly would return to its landing ship to eat dinner

A proposed change in dinner plans one night turned out to be a close call, D’Emidio said.

“The Navy usually fed us, but one night we went to a Merchant Marine ship because we heard they had really good food. They turned us away, so we tied up to a mine sweeper. About 2 a.m. the merchant ship was bombed.

D’Emidio said that he and the crew were never nervous.

“At 19 years old, you’re not afraid of anything,” he said.

D’Emidio along with fellow D-Day veteran Art Cammarota will be honored by the mayor and Council Monday for their bravery. The honors will be bestowed at 7 p.m. and Bristol Borough: Raising the Bar will host a pre-meeting reception for the public at 6 p.m.