Track season is officially over! Proud to be part of a team that set a school record in the 4x100, competed at Regionals, and earned All-Conference honors in the 4x100. Loved every minute with this group! Excited to see what we can do next year.
Ray’s Rock - Omaha Beach
On the morning of June 6, 1944, 23 year old Staff Sergeant Arnold “Ray” Lambert came ashore with the first wave of the 1st Infantry Division on the eastern side of Omaha Beach. At this small patch of concrete he saved nearly 20 lives:
The division came under intense fire from several German bunkers surrounding the entrance to the Colville Draw (one of two exits off Omaha Beach). Ray, a medic, immediately went to work.
He was shot in the arm. Moments later he was hit by shrapnel in the leg, but Ray kept pulling men to safety. He pulled nearly 20 wounded soldiers to cover behind this 8ft wide obstacle, treating each soldier before going out in search of others.
After several hours under fire, while pulling a wounded soldier from the ocean, he was struck by a landing craft. It dropped its ramp on top of him, breaking his back. He fell face down in the water, drowning. The craft backed up and nearby soldiers pulled an unconscious Ray to safety, eventually evacuating him off the beach.
Remarkably, Ray had already earned two Silver Stars and three Purple Hearts in Sicily and North Africa, prior to landing in France. But here in Normandy his war would end.
He awoke in a hospital back in England a day later. In the next bed over was his brother, who had also been wounded at Omaha.
When asked about his work on D-Day, Ray simply said, “I did what I was called to do.”
Ray Lambert passed in 2021 at 100 years old. He exemplified the best of American grit and why remembering this day is so important.
90% of the soldiers on the first boats to hit the beach didn't live to see the end of the day. Look at those faces. Some of them never made it to 18.
Never forget that they paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We live our lives the way we do because of them.
𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍
"You have to pay full price ... That's what commitment looks like. It's not when it's easy or convenient. It's when things are hard and things aren't going well." (Brent Venables)
~ @CoachVenables quote via @SoonerScoop@thewinningdiff1
Congratulations Parke Heritage T&F seniors Hallie Miller (1st Team Academic All State), Lucas Rhoads (Hon. Mention Academic All State), and Mason Barger (Hon. Mention Academic All State). Great job!! @NCPSchoolCorp@PHWolvesAD
Kam Shields advances to Regionals at Plainfield next week after finishing second in the 1600m at Sectionals. He joins our Girls 4x100m Relay team who advanced to Regionals at Ben Davis next week! @PHWolvesAD
Congrats to our PH all-conference track athletes from tonight’s WRC meet:
Hallie Miller 100 hurdles
Kam Shields 1600 & 800
Justin Cooper, Kam Salyer, Hayden Vandivier, Michael Smith 4x100
Lila Busenbark, Kennedy Mitchell, Rheese Benjamin, Hallie Miller 4x100.