US Army Rangers just scaled towering seaside cliffs to re-enact one of D-Day's most dangerous missions
Following an early morning naval bombardment of the German position, three companies from the 2nd Ranger Battalion began their assault on Pointe du Hoc, landing under fire at the base of the steep cliffs.
The Rangers climbed up wet ropes and ladders in damp, muddy uniforms as German bullets and grenades rained down on their assault.
It took about half an hour for the invading Rangers to reach the top, where they battled against fierce resistance to find and destroy five of the six enemy guns, which had actually been moved farther inland before the assault.
More than 200 men from the 2nd Battalion fought to take Pointe du Hoc. When they were finally relieved after two days of fighting, there were only about 90 Rangers still standing.
Decades later, the scarred, pockmarked landscape stands testament to the hard-fought battles that took place at Pointe du Hoc.
On June 5, 2019, Around 100 US Rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment donned WWII uniforms and scaled the cliffs (without the hassle of enemy fire) to honor their predecessors, who did the unthinkable with odds stacked against them.
"The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs, shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb," President Ronald Reagan said in a memorable speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of the assault.
"When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again," Reagan said in his address. "They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe."
"For us in the 2nd Ranger Battalion, this was our baptism by fire," Maj. Ross Daly, who participated in Wednesday's climb, told Stars and Stripes. "This is where our battalion's legacy was born. They gave everything that day and now it is on us."
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