European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday june 7, 1994 a i _ _. A a. Deadly Cliff climb haunts memory by Ron Jensen Normandy Bureau Pointe do hoc France of All the Awe inspiring acts of courage that were part of a Day 50 years ago a from the paratroops who dropped through the night to the soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach at Daybreak a perhaps the ascent of these Cliffs by rangers under enemy fire garners the most Awe. A today it still gives you a sick feeling. It was a daunting task a said sgt. 1st class Joseph easter of the 236th base support in in Augsburg Germany. A it gives you a gut Check 50 years  before the ceremony monday morn Armbruster my attended by president Clinton Many who were there peered Down from the top of the sheer 100-foot Stone Wall and marvelled. A a it a unbelievable to think that someone from Down there came up Here a said sgt. 1st class Ross Mcvey stationed at fort Polk la. Quot it s unbelievable. Pure  three companies of the 2nd Ranger in scaled the Cliffs on a Day to capture German gun positions Inland. Above the defenders unleashed a storm of machine gun fire and grenades in an Effort to repel the attackers. Twenty four hours after the assault began 70 percent of the Ranger Force was killed wounded or missing. But the Mission was rangers faced a formidable task As they stormed these Cliffs at Pointe do hoc under heavy German fire. A amps Effia Bathan accomplished. The big guns were silenced. A just looking at these Cliffs to think that under machine gun fire these rangers were Able to scale these things is jut incredible a said Marsh Campbell who came from Tucson Ariz to pay respects to Normandy veterans. Clinton noted in his address that the men climbed by ropes holding on with hands sickened by Sand and water. A they were hard men a said capt. Steve Russell of the army infantry school at fort Benning a Quot they were very Brave a very very Brave men. A my biggest fear is that when this generation passes we will forget. And we can to do  the last word on the matter should belong to one of the rangers who did climb those Cliffs 50 years ago and lived to answer the question of How it was  i look at it and say the same thing Quot said Thomas Armbruster a Ranger Veteran from Seattle. A How did the germans let us do it a Veteran Jeremiah o Brien sails Back into history by Kevin Dougherty Normandy Bureau Pointe do hoc France the Liberty vessel Jeremiah of Brien though dwarfed in size by . And French Navy warships steaming off Pointe do hot held seniority Over them All. A it was the Only ship that was out Here that took part in world War us said it. Don Savage a Navy spokesman. More than that the of Brien was part of the Allied Armada that sailed from England to Normandy As part of operation overlord. The cargo vessel which it Ftp commissioned in 19-13, continued to ferry supplies and equipment weighing up to 9,600 tons in the Days immediately following the invasion and later was at work in the Pacific theater. On monday the of Brien was one of six . Ships in the cold Choppy Waters off Normandy a Pointe do hoc. The of Brien a noncombatant museum vessel based at fort Mason in san Francisco is maintained by the nonprofit National Liberty ship memorial which restored  the five . Navy ships on Active status included the Ticonderoga Dass guided missile cruisers Normandy and Thomas s. Gates the amphibious transport Dock ship Austin the amphibious tank Landing ship Harlan county and the destroyer Dyo. Some French ships were also present eight other . Navy ships were poised off Omaha Beach including the aircraft Carrier George Washington. All arc part of the Washington Battle group. The ships at Pointe do hoc served As a stunning backdrop for a ceremony that commemorated the heroic efforts of the 2nd . Ranger in on june 6, 1944, its soldiers captured the strategic artillery Point after scaling 100-foot Cliffs and battling German troops in hand to hand combat. As the crowd waited for president Clinton to arrive Ernest l. Murdock stood on the Concrete foundation of a Large German Bunker and looked out across the foggy English Channel at the of Brien. He seemed like a proud father As the 441-foot-Long ship took its rightful place on the watery stage. A the last time i saw that ship before today it was going out through the Golden Gate Bridge and into the fog Quot said Murdock the superintendent of the Liberty organization. From 1941 to 1945, the United states built 2,751. Liberty ships. Of that number 200 were used on a Day and 657 were lost during the War. About 7,000 seamen aboard Liberty ships were killed in action said Murdock a retired . Coast guard Captain. A it was in Australia when the War ended Quot Murdock said of the of Brien. Quot and on the Way Back from Australia it brought nine Australia War brides and three of their children to the United states Liberty ships were eventually displaced by Victory cargo ships. At the urging of the Volunteer group the of Brien was brought out of Reserve status in 1979. The group raised $1.7 million Over 15 years to refurbish the ship. The group still needs $500,000 to cover repairs improvements and costs relating to the Normandy trip a it was a real rust bucket at that time a Murdock said. A a. It Hadnot had any maintenance for 16  the of Brien left san Francisco Bay in mid april with a Crew of 56 men ranging in age from 19 to 78. A third of the Crew Are world War ii Navy veterans including the 75-year-old skipper George w. Jahn who captained the Liberty ship William Matson during the Normandy landings. After the 50th anniversary of a Day the of Brien will head for England where it will it be on Public display in Chatham and London. It then will steam off to Ruben Ernest l. Murdock France for Bastille Day on july 14 before heading Back to the United states