There were a lot of battles on D-Day in WWII, and one of those was on La Pointe du Hoc, more than a 100 ft. cliff overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.
Germans used the top of the cliff to not only fire upon soldiers landing on the beach but also to shoot at allied aircraft. The U.S. Army Rangers trained for a mission of taking the Germans out, which was going to be very difficult as they had to successfully get across the water to the beach, then use ropes and ladders to work their way to the top, all while German soldiers shot at them. The commander of this particular group got drunk and said it was a suicide mission, so he was relieved from his command.
The Rangers trained hard learning how to climb straight cliffs while fighting at the same time. Around 200 Rangers landed on the beach, scaled the cliff, and successfully took the Germans out in two days. Fifty Germans were killed and 40 captured while we lost 85 Rangers. Our high casualty count was due to how exposed these brave men were as they climbed the cliff and as they reached the top and were going over it. The first Rangers to reach the German stronghold knew they'd probably die but it was their job to take out as many Germans as possible so that the Rangers who followed would have a better chance to accomplish the mission.
All wars have been filled with heroes. These men were brothers, cousins, fathers, and uncles, so their deaths impacted so many people. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has experienced this kind of loss. I'm eternally grateful for the men and women who have died so that I can experience the freedoms of our Constitution and live in the greatest country on earth.
Germans used the top of the cliff to not only fire upon soldiers landing on the beach but also to shoot at allied aircraft. The U.S. Army Rangers trained for a mission of taking the Germans out, which was going to be very difficult as they had to successfully get across the water to the beach, then use ropes and ladders to work their way to the top, all while German soldiers shot at them. The commander of this particular group got drunk and said it was a suicide mission, so he was relieved from his command.
The Rangers trained hard learning how to climb straight cliffs while fighting at the same time. Around 200 Rangers landed on the beach, scaled the cliff, and successfully took the Germans out in two days. Fifty Germans were killed and 40 captured while we lost 85 Rangers. Our high casualty count was due to how exposed these brave men were as they climbed the cliff and as they reached the top and were going over it. The first Rangers to reach the German stronghold knew they'd probably die but it was their job to take out as many Germans as possible so that the Rangers who followed would have a better chance to accomplish the mission.
All wars have been filled with heroes. These men were brothers, cousins, fathers, and uncles, so their deaths impacted so many people. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has experienced this kind of loss. I'm eternally grateful for the men and women who have died so that I can experience the freedoms of our Constitution and live in the greatest country on earth.
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