FRANK DEVITA

COXSWAIN FRANK DEVITA | AGE: (96) | RESIDES: NEW YORK CITY, NY UNITED STATES COAST GUARD – USS. SAMUEL CHASE, LCVP (OMAHA BEACH) Battles: North Africa | Normandy (D-DAY) | Southern France | Okinawa SHORT BIOGRAPHY: At 18, FRANK DEVITA joined the Coast Guard and was assigned to the USS Samuel Chase, an attack transport. FRANK DEVITA was aboard the Samuel Chase, assigned as 20mm anti-aircraft gunner. After we did the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Salerno, we practiced two or three months for Normandy, raising and lowering the boats, day and night. ON DDAY, we had 21 Higgins boats — LCVPs: Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel. Each one carried between 30 and 32 men. We were 11 miles from the beach because the German 88 (mm) guns had a range of 10 miles. We started on toward the beach. It was very dangerous because of the mines and obstacles in the water called Belgian Gates. After D-Day, DEVITA took part in the invasion in southern France and the tail end of Okinawa. DEVITA was in the occupation of Japan for about four months and then my service was over. They gave me a check for $84 and a train ticket to go home. Today, FRANK DEVITA resides in New Jersey.