"D" Day, 6 June 1944, -- and will a Ranger ever forget it? 0430 hours and into the LCAs, to start the ten mile dash to the coast of France, in a sea choppy enough to turn the stomach of "Sinbad the Sailor".

        Approaching the beach, it was plain to see that the Germans did not desire our social call. The beach was protected by numerous underwater obstacles consisting of elements "C", hedgehogs and tetrahedra, many with Teller-Mines attached. Mortar and artillery shells continually burst in the area of these obstacles, and a heavy concentration of machine gun and small arms fire swept the beach. About 75 yards from the water's edge, a four foot sea wall ran laterally along the beach. Our Naval Bombardment had set fire to the vegetation above the beach, and a pall of smoke obscured the area.

        The first wave to hit the beach consisted of half of Battalion Headquarters, Companies "A", "B", and "E", landing on a strip of beach designated as Omaha Dog White Beach. Actually, the landing point for these Rangers was Dog Green, but Lt. Col. Max Schneider, seeing the fabulous volume of fire that covered Dog Green Beach, ordered the flotilla commander to touch-down his craft east of the intended landing point. This first wave crossed the beach in good order, with few casualties, and halted temporarily in rear of the sea wall, and immediately reorganized. The second wave, consisting of half of Battalion Headquarters, Companies "C", "D", and one platoon of "F" Company repeated the performance of the first wave. The other platoon of "F" Company had shipped too much water in its LCA and dropped