elsie item issue 69 - USS Landing Craft Infantry

MORE INFORMATION ON LCIs AT NORMANDY
In researching the sinking of LCIs 219, sunk
June 11, 1944, off Utah beach by German aircraft,
and LCI 232, sunk by mines off of Utah
Beach, June 6, 1944. I came across an eyewitness
account of the sinking of both LCIs
which I will be posting in future editions of
Elsie Item after I have had a chance to examine
these accounts closely.
However I do have other information. In running
searches on the web for LCI 219, I came
upon a site called “Hyper War” which I found
to be a great source of information. Among
other things I found two interviews done by
the Navy. One was with an officer of LCI 232,
made just two months after it was sunk. The
other was with a member of the salvage crew
that searched and found the wreckage of LCI
232 (but was unable to salvage) off of Utah
Beach.
Subsequently, in scanning the Hyper War web
site I found information concerning Coast
Guardsmen who were decorated for their part
in the invasions at Sicily, Salerno and Anzio. I
was excited to find the record of an LCIer
killed in action who is not listed in the
“Memorial” section on our LCI web site. The
Hyper War site even has this war time address
of this LCIer - a lead for a follow up biography
of this brave man:
John C. Scheuerman
Seaman 1c, USCGR
107 Belenheim Road
Columbus, Ohio
8
By
John France
LCI Historian,
European Theater of Operations
I learned that John was awarded a Silver Star
(Posthumously). The citation for this award
reads as follows:
While serving aboard the USS LCI(L) 319 during
the amphibious invasion of Italy, September
9, 1943, observing an enemy fighter plane diving
in for a strafing attack as vessel
approached the assault beaches in the Gulf of
Salerno, he unhesitatingly manned his battle
stations and exposed anti-aircraft gun, and
with cool courage exerted every effort to
direct accurate fire against the plane.
Although mortally wounded before he could
deliver effective fire, he remained steadfast at
his post in the face of imminent death, thereby
contributing materially to the protection of the
ship against further attack.
I looked up LCI 319 on NavSource and found
that it lists five Purple Hearts awarded and
one KIA reported for September 11.
Scheuerman was not listed but perhaps he
died two days after being hit. I will follow up
on this at a later date and write the story.
However, in the meantime, his name will be
added to the “Memorial” list on our website.