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Lest we forget – tomorrow is the 71st anniversary of D-Day, the WW II Allied invasion of France on the beaches of Normandy.
There are many Texas ties, including the Battleship Texas and the scaling of the cliffs at Ponte du Hoc.
The Battleship Texas (now at San Jacinto) was one of the ships lying miles offshore that bombarded the German positions along the beaches before the landing craft went in. (FYI – Those landing craft were invented and manufactured right down the road in New Orleans, where there’s now a terrific -- and recently expanded -- D-Day/WW II Museum.)
The 500 U.S. Army Rangers at Pont du Hoc were commanded by an Aggie – James Earl Rudder, who later became a Texas Land Commissioner and president of Texas A&M. The Rangers’ job was to scale the tall cliffs rising up from the beach using rope and grappling hooks, all under heavy enemy f. They were to destroy the German gun emplacements on the top of the cliffs. They lost 50% of their men, but succeeded getting to the top. When they got there, they found that the guns had been removed. There now is a Texas Historical Marker on the wall of one of those German bunkers.
I’m sure many of you have your own D-Day (or WW II) stories from your fathers or grandfathers. Please share.
There are many Texas ties, including the Battleship Texas and the scaling of the cliffs at Ponte du Hoc.
The Battleship Texas (now at San Jacinto) was one of the ships lying miles offshore that bombarded the German positions along the beaches before the landing craft went in. (FYI – Those landing craft were invented and manufactured right down the road in New Orleans, where there’s now a terrific -- and recently expanded -- D-Day/WW II Museum.)
The 500 U.S. Army Rangers at Pont du Hoc were commanded by an Aggie – James Earl Rudder, who later became a Texas Land Commissioner and president of Texas A&M. The Rangers’ job was to scale the tall cliffs rising up from the beach using rope and grappling hooks, all under heavy enemy f. They were to destroy the German gun emplacements on the top of the cliffs. They lost 50% of their men, but succeeded getting to the top. When they got there, they found that the guns had been removed. There now is a Texas Historical Marker on the wall of one of those German bunkers.
I’m sure many of you have your own D-Day (or WW II) stories from your fathers or grandfathers. Please share.
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