How Torture Helped Win WWII

[Cicero]

Or there's General Montgomery's motto: "We ride right after tea."

Meyrick Edward Clifton James motto: "One Limey is worth all the Heinies."

 

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It 's not possible that Major Rodgers ever said "Rangers lead the way?" The modern Ranger motto may have originated from the order given by non-Ranger, General Cota, but the original sentiment is easily a declaration uttered by the founder of the unit, Major Rodgers. Roger's Rangers were always leading the way in the 18th Century.

Highly unlikely. The original Rangers waged asymmetrical warfare totally unconnected to the rest of the military. They weren't "leading" anything. They were on their own. The notion of Rangers as a lead assault group for infantry originates in WW2. Even if he did say it, so what? He probably said all sorts of things. None of them were ever adopted as anyone's motto, and they're forgotten by history. They didn't inspire the modern US Army Ranger's motto.

While Rangers lead the way on Pointe du Hoc, the Big Red 1 was the first on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. It was the Big Red 1 that drove inland and cleared a beachhead for supplies and troops.

Only Force A of the Ranger Assault Group took Pointe du Hoc.

Force B of the Ranger Assault Group (Charlie Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion) landed at Dog Green Sector on Omaha Beach in the first wave (Captain Ralph Goranson is replaced by Captain John Miller in Saving Private Ryan), followed almost immediately (before the second wave) by Force C of the Ranger Assault Group which consisted of Able and Baker companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion and the entire 5th Ranger Battalion (commanded by Lt. Col. Max Schneider).

The first American forces off the beach were survivors from Ranger Force B - they had scaled the cliffs near Dog White Sector and the Vierville draw by 07:30 and spent the rest of the day capturing WN-73 defending draw D-1.

Next off the beach were elements of the 29th Infantry Division and 5th Rangers Battalion who blew the wire between WN-68 and WN-70, followed by survivors from A and B Companies of 2nd Rangers who scaled the cliffs at WN-70 independently.

At the other end of the beach the 1st Infantry Division were moving off the beach by 07:45 and securing the E-1 and E-3 draws.

Another quote attributed to Cota is, "Rangers, lead the way off this beach before we're all killed." Cota's remarks to the 116th are included in "The Longest Day," but not his remarks to the Ranger unit.

The quote attributed to Cota in The Longest Day is "There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here." But this was actually said by Colonel George Taylor, CO of the 16th RCT (1st Div).

C Company 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion landed two minutes after the first wave. So here they followed, not lead.

They were the first wave. The waves were half an hour apart. They were the first onto their sector, immediately to the right of the 116th RCT at the far western end of the beach. The 16th RCT were at the eastern end of the beach.

16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, T/Sgt. Phillip Streczyk knocked out the fortifications at the east side of Exit E-1. Lt. John Spalding, 16th Inf, 1st Division, documented that this was the first platoon of the 16th to hit the top.

They probably were, but it's well documented that at the western end of the beach the Rangers from C Company, 2nd Batt. were already atop the cliffs and soldiers of the 116th RCT (29th Div) were the first to cut the wires.

According to Spalding's own interview eight months after the action his force moved off the beach at about 07:45, and he reached the top about 08:00.

Many mottos followed the sentiment of "No Guts, No Glory," or..... "Who Dares Wins."

I fail to see your point. The Ranger Motto derives from a specific statement given by a specific person at a specific time and place to a specific group of soldiers.