Pointe du Hoc: Today

        It has been 75 years since the Allies landed on the beaches at Normandy in France.  Thus began the long, deadly campaign to rid the Continent of the Nazi plague.  It was the 6th of June, 1944: known as D-Day.   Thousands of troops were put ashore with a mission: establish a beach head that could be exploited by those following.   It would prove to be a most difficult mission.  The weather was marginal, with strong winds whipping up the surf as landing craft approached the beaches and were met by murderous fire from scores of Nazi gun emplacements.  One location in particular was especially well defended by concrete gun emplacements:  Pointe Du Hoc.
       This position on the coast jutted seaward into the English Channel.  It was perched on top of a bluff on the Pointe du Hoc.  It could cover with accurate fires the landing beaches north and south of its position.  It had to be neutralized for any chance of making a successful landing.  Two battalions of infantry were given the task of destroying the position and silencing the guns.  They were Ranger battalions with special skills and special equipment.  They used ladders and ropes to scale the steep cliffs protecting the position.  Despite their numbers, only a few rangers could climb at anytime.  They were not to be denied and they completed the mission, despite suffering heavy casualties.
      The photo is a recent picture of the location:  not much has changed.

The Coast of France Today

             In the center of the photo, one can see the concrete emplacement that overlooks the beaches.  To the rear of the point is another emplacement that protects the other.  The beaches were not so tranquil 75 years ago, on June 6, 1944: D-Day.
         See the column today in the Wall St. Journal wsj.com by noted writer Peggy Noonan.  She writes about Memorial Day, 2019, especially one when she joined Pres. Ronald Reagan at the site to commemorate the event.