DDay5thRIB

Fifth Ranger Battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Max Schneider, former executive officer of the 4th Ranger Battalion, the Battalion Executive Officer and Commander of half the 5th Ranger invasion force Major Richard Sullivan. Landing on Omaha Beach Dog White after changing locations from Dog Green with three companies of the 2nd Battalion, A, B and C, where elements of the 116th Regiment of the 29th Inf. Division were pinned down by murderous cross fire and mortars from the heights above. It was there that the situation was so critical that General Omar Bradley was seriously considering redirecting reinforcements to other areas of the beachhead. And it was then and there that General Norman D. Cota, Assistant Division Commander of the 29th Division, gave the now famous order that has become the Motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment: "Rangers, Lead The Way!"

The Fifth Battalion Rangers broke across the sea wall and barbed wire entanglements, and up the pillbox-rimmed heights under intense enemy machine-gun and mortar fire and with A and B Companies of the 2nd Battalion and some elements of the 116th Infantry Regiment, advanced four miles to the key town of Vierville Sur Mer, thus opening the breach for supporting troops to follow-up and expand the beachhead. .

The Fifth Battalion with elements of the 116th Regiment finally linked up with the beleaguered 2nd Battalion on D+3, Lieutenant Charles "Ace" Parker of A Company, 5th Battalion, had penetrated deep behind enemy lines on D Day and reached the 2nd Battalion with 20 prisoners. Being the only 5th Rangers to reach Point Du Hoc, other then one, T/5 Theodore Wells, a Radio operator from HQ Company, being attached to Lieutenant Colonel Rudder. He was to give the "Praise the Lord" message if they were sucessful, or "Tilt" if they failed. T/5 Wells was the only link between the 2nd Rangers LTC Rudder and the 5th Rangers LTC Schneider.

Later the 5th Battalion distinguished itself in the hard-fought battle of Brest Pennisula.