2nd Ranger Battalion

Description

On June 6th, 1944, Force A, consisting of D, E, and F companies, and Battalion Headquarters of the 2nd Rangers Battalion, along with the attached Naval Shore Fire Party, were tasked with securing the 155mm guns at Pointe Du Hoc under the command of Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder. Following the pre-invasion bombardment from the nearby Battleship TEXAS, the force landed on the beaches below and scaled the cliffs under heavy gunfire and artillery to complete their assigned mission. Force A accomplished its mission of neutralizing the guns atop Pointe Du Hoc and establishing a roadblock, but it came at a heavy price. The three companies suffered a high casualty rate, leaving only a fraction of the original 225 men able to fight the next few days. The Rangers at Pointe Du Hoc would continue to hold the Pointe as friendly forces from Omaha Beach arrived on June 8, 1944. On June 7, 1944, the USS TEXAS received information from the USS HARDING that the Ranger forces at Pointe Du Hoc were requesting small arms, ammunition, food, and evacuation for several wounded, desperately in need of medical attention. That afternoon, two LCVPs returned from the beach with thirty-five wounded from the 2nd Ranger Battalion, where the entire medical staff of TEXAS tended to the injured. Each challenge coin resembles the diamond painted on the rear of the helmets of those who scaled the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc. A limited run of 225 coins is available.