# WWII Rangers reunite in Columbus



## Centermass (Oct 23, 2009)

The lobby of the Holiday Inn on Manchester Express was teeming Thursday with the who’s who of U.S. Army Ranger royalty, in town this week for their annual reunion.

There was Len Lomell, who earned the Distinguished Service Cross for destroying the howitzer cannons at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day. “I’m the guy that found the guns,” Lomell, now 89, said with a playful grin
Lomell’s friend, fellow Ranger and former company commander, George Kerchner, was also in attendance. 

Kerchner was a 26-year-old 2nd lieutenant when the 2nd Ranger Battalion landed on the beach at Pointe du Hoc. In the time it took for him to step from his boat onto the already blood-soaked sand, however, he had gone from being a low-ranking officer to the company’s commander. “On the way in the landing craft that had the company commander and the other lieutenant in it had sunk,” Kerchner recalled. “It never reached the shore so when I landed on the shore I was the company commander.

Over the next three days, the approximately 100 veteran Rangers who were able travel to Columbus for this year’s reunion will observe a Rangers in Action demonstration at Hurley Hill on Fort Benning, tour the new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center and take a walk along WWII Street. There will also be opportunities along the way for Rangers past and present to meet and swap stories.

Thursday, for example, the veterans teamed up with current Rangers to compete in a simulated gallery shoot-out hosted at the Holiday Inn by Ranger Joe’s.

The WWII Ranger reunion wraps up Oct. 25. 

Full Story


----------



## Gypsy (Oct 24, 2009)

Very cool.


----------



## 08steeda (Oct 24, 2009)

My Grandpa was there for the Normandy Invasion. He passed way when I was still in diapers. Wish I could have talked with him about those experiences. 

My hat it off to those Hard Core Vets! What they lived through is simply an amazing story in our human and US History. God Bless each and every one of them!

And all Veteran's for that matter! 

THANK YOU!!!


----------



## Jettie (Oct 24, 2009)

Wow, thanks for the info. Soft spot in my heart for the WWII Rangers. I will check out the events.


----------



## surgicalcric (Oct 24, 2009)

Too bad my father wasnt alive for this.  I am sure he would have enjoyed exchanging stories...

Crip


----------



## 8'Duece (Oct 24, 2009)

Fox News covered this occassion during yesterday's Fox and Friends morning show.  

Wonder if anybody else covered it ?


----------



## 8'Duece (Oct 24, 2009)

surgicalcric said:


> Too bad my father wasnt alive for this.  I am sure he would have enjoyed exchanging stories...
> 
> Crip



Sorry to hear about your father.  I lost my father also way too early in his life.  I'm taking it he was a Ranger ?  

Sincerely,
8'Duece


----------



## car (Oct 25, 2009)

Great story! Glad the old dudes still get the chance to mix it up with the young uns.

Reminds me of All American week at Bragg. Once held the door at the guest house for an older gentleman who was wearing mini-wings on his lapel, with five gold stars on them......damn near broke my back - holding the door, coming to "Attention" and trying to salute all at the same time. 

All he did was nod and say, "Thanks, Top." :):) My eyes still tear up when I think about it.


----------



## surgicalcric (Oct 25, 2009)

8'Duece said:


> ...I'm taking it he was a Ranger...



2nd BN and there on Pointe du Hoc...

"A better man than I," says his son...


----------

