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.
@SFGiants241@notgaetti Didn’t say your post had anything to do w/being a Giants fan. Mine was a commentary on baseball changing the rules due to Posey’s ineptitude blocking the plate. No, I wouldn’t, b/c the root cause of the play was the pitcher not fulfilling his responsibility…as in Posey’s case.
@SFGiants241@notgaetti I would expect nothing less from a Giants fan. After all, it was Posey’s lack of defensive acumen that got the most exciting play in baseball banned. #PlayAtThePlate
@poptartcaliber@larry_truman1@notgaetti Both players after the game stated they jumped to lessen the impact. Don’t know how much that affected the collision, but that is what they said.
@notgaetti The real crime of this play is the pitcher spectating and not getting his butt to the bag. He does that, like he is supposed to, no one even reviews this play…let alone suggesting rule changes and adding a “safety” base.