European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Note do hoc continued from Page 53 a bullets at the Waters Edge according to one account. He raised his Rifle and charged across the Sand machine gun bullets hitting him with every step until he fell to his Knees. He lifted his weapon As though to fire it and continued his charge. The German machine gunner continued pumping bullets into him until finally he fell Forward onto the soil of France. A the most hazardous part of that particular Day for us was getting across that Sandy Beach a Salomon said. A in 10 to 15 minutes we had 20 men killed and any number of with 65 men Charlie company was the smallest of the Ranger outfits that Day. And of All the Ranger companies Charlie had the most killed. Climbing the Cliff meant taking the High ground. Reaching the top the rangers quickly overran a German outpost inside a French House. Then Salomon jumped into a Shell Crater for cover. He was joined by his fellow lieutenant William Moody and the two of them looked Over the craters Edge to assess the situation. They were close friends. The previous autumn Salomon and Moody had sailed to England a together aboard the Queen Mary and had roomed together All through their pre invasion training. Suddenly in the Shell Crater Moody was slammed backward to the ground. Salomon a looked Down at his Friend and saw a Bullet Hole in his forehead the final Charlie company Man to die and the Only one to perish atop the Cliffs away from the Beach. Subsequent fighting was a almost like world War in As Salomon and the others worked their Way Down German trenches that held the enemy machine gun positions that commanded the far West flank of Omaha Beach. By now Salomon said a i had nine men left out of 37 in the no longer part of an effective fighting Force he spent the rest of the Day holding his ground. The three Ranger companies from rudders battalion that fought on Omaha suffered twice As Many casualties As the three companies that took Pointe do hoc. A that was the glamorous part of our Mission with grappling Hooks and scaling ladders a Salomon said of Pointe do hoc. But in the end he said it was Able Baker and Charlie companies that had the toughest fight. Len Lomell the 24-year-old first sergeant of dog company was an acting platoon Leader that morning. He. Was the first Man off his Landing Craft As the rangers made their belated arrival to Pointe do hoc. Struggling in water Over his head he carried a Box of rope and a Large hand rocket that was designed to launch the rope to the top of the 100-foot Cliff. As he pushed his Way out of the water machine gun fire hit Lomell in the right Side of his Abdomen knocking him so hard that he spun around backward facing pfc. Harry Fate. While still in England Lomell had busted Fate Down from sergeant causing hard feelings. A whoever said first sergeants were popular a Lomell explained. And at one Point Fate had a told me what they do to first sergeants in combat a Lomell recalled. A and the first step i take in combat i get shot. And i turn around and Here he the Bullet had missed lome us a organs just ripping away some flesh. Convinced head been shot by Fate he lunged at the Man shouting a a in a Gonna kill you you carpet bombing and naval gunfire damaged Pointe do hoc fortifications before a Day. A amps other rangers held the two men apart while Fate screamed �?o1 did no to do it. I did no to do after a moment Lomell said a i came to my senses a and he turned his attention Back toward assaulting the Cliffs. Fate was an a Iron Man a one of the few who was never wounded in the 11 months of combat that followed. He and Lomell eventually became close friends. The enemy gunfire at the base of the Cliff was lighter. S till the ropes were water logged the rockets did no to work the three remaining Duke vessels with attached fire ladders get close enough to do any Good. Many of the rangers resorted to climbing by hand. A i would say my Guys were off the la the assault Landing Craft and up within five to 10 minutes a Lomell said. Our fast climbers got up first carrying bars Browning automatic rifles so us Ordinary Guys could was no Way they could Stop me or the american aircraft had bombed the Point for months and battleships that morning had blasted 600 shells on top of the stronghold. The desolate area looked like a lunar landscape. And As the rangers made their Way to the huge fortified artillery positions skirmishing with germans and Clearing bunkers they discovered that the guns had vanished. Ted Lapres the lieutenant from easy company was scared of Heights. A it was a Man Euver we had trained for a he said. A but i had fallen 50-60 feet while training in England. That did no to do anything for my this time he did no to fall. A once i got topside i thought that the whole War was Over with a Lapres said. A i thought there a Ranger Scales Pointe do hoc Cliff. Army staff sgt Dick Hathaway was part of plan b. He was with Able company 5th Ranger in part of the follow on Force that waited off Shore until the first wave missed the 7 . Deadline at Pointe do hoc. So Hathaway and the others were diverted to Omaha Beach. A plan b called for Landing Able and Baker companies plus All of 5th in onto dog Green Omaha at Low tide with 75 Yards of walkable water and 75 Yards of Beach a Hathaway said a the fire coming in was horrendous a he said. A so much so All i could think of was a Man in be got to get across this a running across Beach meant facing frontal and flanking fire plus a one of the fires every 1 commander dreams of putting on his opponent a a coordinated sweeping artillery barrage called Enfil Ade. At the end of the Beach were smooth rocks like cobblestones that caused ricochets and artillery shells blew pieces of Rock into deadly fragments. Also Charlie company had not yet taken out the flanking machine gun nests. Thousands of men were already trying to land and make the run. Most were failing. Searching for the least horrific Landing spot the Ranger task Force drove parallel along the Beach front 150 to 200 Yards out then turned abruptly Inland. Hathaway was in the leftmost boat. A i was supposed to be third out of boat a he said. But he ran so fast he came out in front of his company commander. Along with the usual combat gear Hathaway carried two Hermit and two concussion grenades an extra mortar Shell two blocks of dynamite plus two igniters strapped to his helmet. Hot any one of us a he said a we would have just blown up in the he tried to time his run Between the three to five round bursts of machine gun fire a i knew we had to get off that Beach a Hathaway said. A the Only ones who were going to stay there were those who were dead and those who were going to somewhere in the Melee he recalls running a past a brigadier general who demanded to know 54 a stars and stripes commemorative edition june 6, 1994
