Thanks Garret...
It so happens I use to work for a guy who climbed the cliffs at Pont du Hoc with the 5th Rangers. Joe Drodwill is his name. He told us many stories about his experiences.
He once told me "They (the Germans) were "shooting right down our throats" and that can be taken literally because they were leaning out over the cliffs and shooting straight down at our guys as they were climbing up.
He also said they were rolling grenades over the edge and cutting their ropes too. IIRC only 10% survived the climb. I can't remember the exact numbers though. I THINK it was 300 out of 3000 but don't quote me on it. I've always been proud to have known him. He certainly was a rare person.
He went to the 50th reunion during the time I worked for him. First time he had seen ANY of those guys since the war. When he came back he told me, "I saw a guy there whom I thought I saw get his FACE BLOWN OFF on the cliffs. All these years I thought he was dead. I must have mistaken him for some other guy that day."
The last thought I'll leave you with is his philosophy on being in such a situation. I have adopted it as my own and only hope I could live up to it as well as he did should the need ever arise.
"If your number is up, it's up. If it's not, then it's not. There isn't anything you can do about it so you might as well just go about your business and carry on with your job."
Or words to that effect...
We'll NEVER be able to thank those guys enough.
