Rangers Lead the Way-President Regan

This speech was given by President Regan on the 40th anniversary of D-Day on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc.

“We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these shear and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers — the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After 2 days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.”

These are the Boys of Pointe du Hoc

The sun rose on that warm June morning
Over those beaches and wind swept shores
The Waves crashed over the bows of their crafts
As though imploring them to turn back towards home.
Those Boys knew they could be swimming to their own deaths,
But they did not look back
They beard their teeth, loaded their ammo,
And cried into the howling wind and up the cliff face
“Rangers lead the way!” 

Those that made it to the burning and blood stained shore
Looked up at their opposing foes sitting high above
Shooting and raining down grenades upon their ranks
And dared them to survive their tide.
They shot rope ladders over those cliffs,
Dug their boots into the solid rock, and began their ascent
When one Boy fell another would take his place
When one Boy’s rope was cut he would grab another
And begin his climb towards his own grave yet again. 

One by one they hauled themselves up and over those cliffs
And broke like waves against their warring adversary
Those Boys fought like dogs for every inch of firm land they gained
And every inch they freed from the grasp of Tyranny.
They marched with the hearts of liberty loving people on their backs
They climbed with the call to return peace to our field
And they fought with the task to destroy evil in a land miles from their own
These are the Boys of Pointe du Hoc