Missing Piece of Naval History Found in Memoir

The voices of unsung heroes finally get heard

Washingtonville, New York – WEBWIRE – Monday, December 16, 2019

D-Day, June 6, 1944—a day never to be forgotten. More than 156,000 troops crossed the English Channel from England to Normandy, making it the largest seaborne invasion in history. Leading the pre-invasion ashore were the brave, but little known, rocketboatmen, as they called themselves. Their job, as the first close up Naval offense, was to soften up the German beach defenses with 48 rockets, machine gunnery, and smoke screening, preparing the way for the LCVP infantrymen.

War stories, especially when backed by credible sources and facts, help raise awareness in historical accuracy. William Howard Palmer Jr.’s “We Called Ourselves Rocketboatmen” contains an untold piece of American Naval history. The LCS Rocket Boat preceded all LCVP troop carriers in all invasions of WW2, whose mission was to clear beaches of German Pillboxes and soften the beaches for the troops.William H Palmer Jr. is the sole researcher and compiler of this Naval Billet in World War 2.

Set in the thick of World War II, Palmer’s memoir recounts the development of the landing craft support (LCS) rocket boat program from1942-1944 . It also recalls how the boat was utilized in the war. The content is largely comprised of US Navy commands, depositions from the boat’s sailors, and testimonials from the sailors’ family members and 6 “Commendations” from the secretary of the Navy to Officers and Crewmen documenting their success knocking out German Pillboxes and other German Defenses at the invasions in the European theater . In addition, photographs, maps, D-Day invasion plans, and several other relevant documents are included to provide readers better understanding of the memoir’s text.

Palmer hopes everyone can be educated in an important but overlooked segment of US history by writing his book. Amazon customer Richard Merlo gained a deeper appreciation for the country’s military despite the current trend of denigrating them. He, along with two other customers, gave the book a five-star rating on the website.

“We Called Ourselves Rocketboatmen” gives everyone an important history lesson. Its first edition was featured in an NBC interview with Omaha Beach Ensign Nick Zuras in 2012, which can be viewed on Youtube . The second edition was presented in the Naval Order Presentation in New York City last April 1, 2019.

We Called Ourselves Rocketboatmen: The Untold Stories of the Top-Secret LCS(S) Rocket Boat Missions of World War II at Sicily, Normandy (Omaha and Utah Beaches), and Southern France
Written by William Howard Palmer Jr.
E-book | $2.99
Paperback | $16.57

Book copies are available at LitFire Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online book retailers.

About the Author
William Howard Palmer Jr. received an MBA from Farleigh Dickinson University in 1990. He worked as a controller/assistant controller at a veteran’s home. Palmer has three children and currently lives in Washingtonville, New York.