Pont du Hoc Normandie, France: As part of the D-Day invasion, US Army Rangers, under the command of Colonel James Rudder, were tasked with scaling the 100' cliffs to attack and...

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

As part of the D-Day invasion, US Army Rangers, under the command of Colonel James Rudder, were tasked with scaling the 100' cliffs to attack and neutralize German gun emplacements that could range on Utah and Omaha Beaches with their 155 mm howitzers, which had been removed before D-Day. Of the 225 Rangers in the assault, only 90 survived. Pont du Hoc was a location I have read about but being there was very emotional.

Ranger Monument
Ranger Monument...

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Cliff faces. Actual attack site at bottom of image

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Bomb and Artillery Craters
Bomb and Artillery Craters...

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Bunker View
Bunker View...

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Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

Our "greatest generation" mostly gone but not totally forgotten!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

chase4 Loc: Punta Corona, California

Great photos of historic value, thanks for posting. chase

"A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country now who no longer understand it."

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

chase4 wrote:

Great photos of historic value, thanks for posting. chase

"A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country now who no longer understand it."

Agreed!!

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Your poignant photographs elicit an emotional response, even without being there in person.
--Bob

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

As part of the D-Day invasion, US Army Rangers, under the command of Colonel James Rudder, were tasked with scaling the 100' cliffs to attack and neutralize German gun emplacements that could range on Utah and Omaha Beaches with their 155 mm howitzers, which had been removed before D-Day. Of the 225 Rangers in the assault, only 90 survived. Pont du Hoc was a location I have read about but being there was very emotional.

Two Feathers

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

As part of the D-Day invasion, US Army Rangers, under the command of Colonel James Rudder, were tasked with scaling the 100' cliffs to attack and neutralize German gun emplacements that could range on Utah and Omaha Beaches with their 155 mm howitzers, which had been removed before D-Day. Of the 225 Rangers in the assault, only 90 survived. Pont du Hoc was a location I have read about but being there was very emotional.

dcma2005 Loc: Waterbury, Connecticut

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

As part of the D-Day invasion, US Army Rangers, under the command of Colonel James Rudder, were tasked with scaling the 100' cliffs to attack and neutralize German gun emplacements that could range on Utah and Omaha Beaches with their 155 mm howitzers, which had been removed before D-Day. Of the 225 Rangers in the assault, only 90 survived. Pont du Hoc was a location I have read about but being there was very emotional.

I visited Normandy in 2014. The visit to point du hoc was indeed very emotional. I cannot imagine what the Army Rangers who first scaled that wall went thru on the morning of June y, 1944. The Greatest Generation.

The following comments are not meant as political commentary. Go to YouTube or Google Ronald Reagan and Point du Hoc and find the video of Reagan’s speech at the dedication of the memorial to the Rangers on the 40th anniversary of the D Day invasion. Some say it was Reagan’s greatest speech. Who am I to argue?

Thanks for sharing.

loosecanon Loc: Central Texas

It's kind of shocking to see what those guys were literally up against. Thank you.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I was there in 2015--a very emotional experience. I was too young to have served (born 1937) but I had uncles who did.

wham121736 Loc: Long Island, New York

Amen!

coyrahman Loc: Reidsville. NC

Longshadow wrote:

My Father was killed there. But my Uncle survived, passed in the early 80's. I'm proud to be an 87 year old RANGER served in Vet Nam.

dcma2005 Loc: Waterbury, Connecticut

coyrahman wrote:

My Father was killed there. But my Uncle survived, passed in the early 80's. I'm proud to be an 87 year old RANGER served in Vet Nam.

Thank you for your service and the service of your dad and uncle.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Thanks for your service, and that of your dad and uncle. All my relatives that served in WWII managed to live through it.