It is on this day, on Omaha beach, that those words were first uttered. On that day done ot the baddest men ever to walk the face of the earth did something that was impossible to do. I'm am honored to have shaken the hand of some of these men over the years and proud to have earned the same name as them.
Till Valhalla.
I hope everyone can appreciate the first pic. Scaling those cliffs with machine gun fire, motors and grenades raining down on you. Balls bigger than all of us combined.
If everything goes as planned, I will be attending the anniversary jump into Normandy next year and actually jump into to the same fields as those before me.
On this date in Ranger History: June 6, 1944
"The Longest Day"
"Before reaching shore, the LCA carrying 2nd platoon of Baker Company, 2D Rangers was hit by artillery or a mine-tipped obstacle that blew off the bow of the landing ramp. Lt. Bob Fitzsimmons was hit by a steel door, and knocked unconscious by the explosion and presumed dead. Another Ranger was wounded. Sgt. Manning Rubenstein yelled, "Abandon Ship!" The men went over the side as it sank, throwing most of the men into deep water where they had to jettison their weapons and equipment to swim to shore. Machine gun bullets laced the water as they struggled toward the beach. Sgt. Rubenstein and Sgt. Walter saw five men killed in the water. Many more were wounded by the time they reached the sand."
2D and 5th Ranger Battalions participated in the D-Day Landings at Omaha Beach, and Pointe du Hoc along the Normandy coast. As Dog, Easy and Fox Companies, 2D Rangers, assaulted the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, the entire 5th Ranger Battalion along with Able and Baker Companies of 2D Rangers were landing on Omaha Beach. Charlie Company, 2D Rangers led the assault targets near Point de la Percee.
It was in the Dog White Sector that BG Norman Cota spotted a group of Headquarters Company, 5th Rangers and asked, "What outfit is this?" To which someone yelled, "5th Rangers, Sir!" BG Cota replied "well ... Rangers, get us off this beach...get up and Lead the Way!" This is how the Ranger motto was born.
"Americans struggle to find cover from the German machine gun fire"
As the 5th Rangers were leading the way off the beachhead, atop the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder and the three companies of 2D Rangers; after fighting their way to the top, only to discover that the reason they had been sent, the French cannons, were not even there.
Amid German counter attacks and in the process of setting up road blocks they began the search for the 155mm Howitzers the Germans had moved. While on reconnaissance, it was then that Rangers Leonard Lomell and Jack Kuhn discovered tracks leading inland, following the tracks, they found the guns in an orchard.
The guns stood unattended with ammunition neatly piled and ready for action. The Rangers quickly formulated a plan and using thermite grenades, began to disable the traverse and elevation mechanisms.
The Rangers had completed their assigned mission, allowing the successful landings to continue at Omaha Beach.
Rangers Lead the Way!
#RLTW #ArmyHistory #RangerHistory #USArmy
Till Valhalla.
I hope everyone can appreciate the first pic. Scaling those cliffs with machine gun fire, motors and grenades raining down on you. Balls bigger than all of us combined.
If everything goes as planned, I will be attending the anniversary jump into Normandy next year and actually jump into to the same fields as those before me.
On this date in Ranger History: June 6, 1944
"The Longest Day"
"Before reaching shore, the LCA carrying 2nd platoon of Baker Company, 2D Rangers was hit by artillery or a mine-tipped obstacle that blew off the bow of the landing ramp. Lt. Bob Fitzsimmons was hit by a steel door, and knocked unconscious by the explosion and presumed dead. Another Ranger was wounded. Sgt. Manning Rubenstein yelled, "Abandon Ship!" The men went over the side as it sank, throwing most of the men into deep water where they had to jettison their weapons and equipment to swim to shore. Machine gun bullets laced the water as they struggled toward the beach. Sgt. Rubenstein and Sgt. Walter saw five men killed in the water. Many more were wounded by the time they reached the sand."
2D and 5th Ranger Battalions participated in the D-Day Landings at Omaha Beach, and Pointe du Hoc along the Normandy coast. As Dog, Easy and Fox Companies, 2D Rangers, assaulted the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, the entire 5th Ranger Battalion along with Able and Baker Companies of 2D Rangers were landing on Omaha Beach. Charlie Company, 2D Rangers led the assault targets near Point de la Percee.
It was in the Dog White Sector that BG Norman Cota spotted a group of Headquarters Company, 5th Rangers and asked, "What outfit is this?" To which someone yelled, "5th Rangers, Sir!" BG Cota replied "well ... Rangers, get us off this beach...get up and Lead the Way!" This is how the Ranger motto was born.
"Americans struggle to find cover from the German machine gun fire"
As the 5th Rangers were leading the way off the beachhead, atop the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder and the three companies of 2D Rangers; after fighting their way to the top, only to discover that the reason they had been sent, the French cannons, were not even there.
Amid German counter attacks and in the process of setting up road blocks they began the search for the 155mm Howitzers the Germans had moved. While on reconnaissance, it was then that Rangers Leonard Lomell and Jack Kuhn discovered tracks leading inland, following the tracks, they found the guns in an orchard.
The guns stood unattended with ammunition neatly piled and ready for action. The Rangers quickly formulated a plan and using thermite grenades, began to disable the traverse and elevation mechanisms.
The Rangers had completed their assigned mission, allowing the successful landings to continue at Omaha Beach.
Rangers Lead the Way!
#RLTW #ArmyHistory #RangerHistory #USArmy
