D-Day Ranger Assaults Nazi Artillery Batteries, VERY Intense Combat

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Become an AVC Patreon member to receive an annual calendar, early access to videos, exclusive content, and several other perks. This funding goes directly into helping us capture more incredible stories with our nation's veterans: / americanveteranscenter
Part II of our interview with General Raaen, the last living D-Day Ranger Officer who was amongst the first to hit the beaches on June 6, 1944 and break into Fortress Europe.
After successfully landing on Omaha and establishing a beachhead, then Captain Raaen begins his mission to push inland into the Norman hedgerows and flush out the remaining Germans.
Raaen's fighting would continue from D+1 until December of 1944, when a Jeep accident would leave him wounded and unable to return to combat.
Interview recorded on February 15, 2023
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26 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 298

@americanveteranscenter Год назад

See General Raaen's PART ONE interview here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UYGh51ZgU5k.html

@frankbisceglia2958 Год назад

Plain to see why this man was a General ! Cream of the crop!

@Blimpie1000 Год назад

This was the best narrative I have ever seen by a participant in the war. It is hard to believe that this man is so sharp at his age. We are fortunate to get this first hand narrative.

@sellyshootsandscores9300 Год назад

A Major General at that!

@markpaul-ym5wg Год назад

You are so correct.I didn't make my comment because you stated your comment so well.😊

@miketwomey4923 Год назад

He is a hero with a photographic memory and he took me back to 1944. It is an amazing slice of history...

@larryb982 Год назад

In just a few years they will all be gone very sad to think about it. Wish I could do more to preserve there stories and these videos are so important to keep there stories of the greatest generation living on so much wisdom and knowledge will be lost once there all gone from this earthly life. God bless!

@dmihm7295 Год назад

I totally agree. This guy is sharp as a whip. It's rare to find an officer from ww2. It would be interesting to see how many officers are left. I could listen to him all day. 😊

@jshepard152 Год назад

What a fantastic American, soldier, and man. Respect to General Raaen.

@keithbusick6859 Год назад

Men like this man is why we prevailed in World War 2. And they truly are our greatest generation God bless you Sir

@davidfrisch773 Год назад

🎉looking oolongs to pliu

@davidfrisch773 Год назад

😂

@davidfrisch773 Год назад

🎉

@stevecastro1325 Год назад

General Raaen somehow reminds me of my grandfather, Colonel Arthur LaSalle Smith, who served in both World Wars. What a wonderful storyteller!

@Soulreaper8181 Год назад

Thank you for your service🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@stuartellison6895 Год назад

This account is incredible. His memory is impeccable. Thank you for all you’ve done 🇬🇧

@marciewright9670 Год назад

Wow! My niece is stationed in Germany and she with her husband took us to Bastion, Versailles, Omaha beach, Point de Hoc and Utah beach last April. We were there in the places he talks about! It’s so easy to visualize and see what they experienced. We also took the Band of Brothers tour, amazing!

@ThunderDucky187 Год назад

Such a sharp memory. Salute sir!

@jonmajarucon51 Год назад

This was a great interview. God bless General Raen!!

@Hongobogologomo Год назад

These guys are just the cream of the crop. I wonder if we have the strength in us today that these fellows did? Courageous, brave men.

@turtlesarecool1488 Год назад

hell no, this isn't the same country. The next big US war will be fought by LGBT, women and minorities. Descendants of white men like Raaen have been ideologically alienated in their own homeland. The culture that built men like this Ranger does not exist. If you aren't gay or black, your opinion means less.

@larryb982 Год назад

Few and far between. I'll go forth!

@geraldmiller3383 Год назад

Believe me they thought the same way before WW 2. I would advise everyone to read DDAY by Steve Ambrose . Don’t ever believe Americans wont defend their country.

@CoreyJason Год назад

I think a world war is what turned these folks into the cream of the crop. We would need something similar to create comparable hardship which had developed this kind of widespread character in their generation.

@MindfulMaterialism Год назад

@@CoreyJason I agree. They also learned to work hard through the depression though, so they had the "perfect" upbringing and environmental factors to make them into what we know.

@krautyvonlederhosen Год назад

This gentleman’s recall and ability to convey exactly what happened then is likened to watching a movie. He understandably earned and deserved his rank. The world was rid of tyranny because of individuals such as this. Thank you sir and thanks to AVC keeping these stories alive. Now we must compel new generations to know those who came before and appreciate what was handed them.

@tommychew6544 Год назад

Loved this one! His description of the three different movies hit it on the nose. Anyone who has been in the military knows there is a lot of hurry up wait moments, it's not always all out action like the movies show. There is a lot I would like to say but it would include too much personal information, thank you very much for showing this part of this man's experience in WWII!

@DRFelGood Год назад

God Bless you Sir along with a heart felt gratitude for you’re service,sacrifice and courage to fight for freedom ❤🇺🇸

@michaelkneale3825 Год назад

One of the best D-Day interviews I have seen. The Generals mind is still sharp as a razor.

@jeffk1482 Год назад

And the strength in his voice yet…just amazing!

@threadripper979 5 месяцев назад

Encyclopedic level of recall. What an impressive man.

@cindymaceda2999 3 месяца назад

Bouncing Betty mine. 😮 Must google that !

@atamagashock Год назад

Absolutely amazing how sharp this man is. From the min he started speaking, he had me locked in until his last words about band of brothers.

@ianlast6722 Год назад

Thanks for sharing this video. I could listen to him talking about his experiences all day. It’s a honour to listen to him. Another representative of the greatest generation

@dwaynekoblitz6032 Год назад

God bless this true American hero. Thank you sir. I'm left speechless. I simply cannot imagine. And I've been through my war. But I didn't do that. I'm so glad you survived. When so many didn't. Thank you, sir! 💯💯💯🇺🇸

@johnchildress6112 Год назад

who wouldn’t love this man?! i’ve been in the military for 30 yrs, and i’ve had a lot of commanders, i can say i would have followed this man to hell and back! We are truly blessed to have had such men and women!

@jayfrank1913 Год назад

This shows how luck plays a huge role in survival in war. The number of close calls and duds this man encountered and survived is incredible!

@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg 9 месяцев назад

Only the dead know the end of War

@danschneider9921 Год назад

Wow. He reminds me of my grandfather who was a TSgt with the 17th Tank Battalion in 44-45. Spoke clearly, sharply and passed away with a cigar in his hand in his garden at age 97 in 2017. He wanted to speak and share his experiences. God bless this generation. It's so heartbreaking to know this breed is almost gone.

@Chiller01 Год назад

That was a great account. He was such an accomplished storyteller. One of the best on RU-vid.

@jjwegs6412 Год назад

Defi ately shows he was a MG. Very Sharp and well spoken man from the greatest generation

@AJohnSmith Год назад

Thank you, MEN. We need your courage more than ever.

@rickyal9810 Год назад

I'm just in awe of this man and his brothers in arms. He describes combat like it was yesterday in the most humble, matter of fact way. I feel we must spend everyday earning what they did for us. Being humble, decent, genuine and tough as nails in the hope that we are even worthy enough to hold these guy's beer is the least we can do.

@joewhitley7437 Год назад

Salute

@PurposePlastics Год назад

Would love to listen to many hours of his tales! God bless you

@dong7474 Год назад

It’s crazy how recognizable Greg’s voice is, I’ve been watching American veteran center for years and to hear him in his interviews brings back memories.

@gideonevans9717 Год назад

Immediately starts off with a Bouncing Betty. Oi! Wow, this man's man is an un believable badass.

@lerch122 Год назад

an excellent interview,i have not seen better

@rikijett310 Год назад

Sir, I would be proud and honored to shake your hand. Thank you endlessly for your service and may God bless you always!!!!! ✝️🇺🇲

@rictaracing2736 Год назад

Thanks for all your hard work bringing these men to light again

@damotherFNman Год назад

My grandfather was an African American veteran and drove on the Redball Express. They saw a lot of action as well. Unfortunately, their stories have gone into the grave with them. He drunk himself to death

@patricklarkin9666 Год назад

God bless him sir

@andrewrivera4029 Год назад

RIP grandpa.

@miketwomey4923 Год назад

I'm sorry how he passed but anyone who knows how the war was won it was supplied by the RedBall Express. I'm an old fat white guy but I know about this and it was amazing what they did, they wouldn't let them fight but they delivered everything that the white dudes needed to stay alive and fight and they never got proper recognition for what they did. There was a cool movie that I think was called the RED Ball Express...

@larryb982 Год назад

Yes there needs to be more of there stories told. They did so much for there fellow man. I'd love to see some interviews from those guys.

@leearensdorf1393 Год назад

God bless your grandfather

@warskye5686 Год назад

OUTSTANDING. What memory. I'm sure there is more to this interview. Hope you make PT 2

@edadams1693 6 месяцев назад

This is part 2. There is a previous interview.

@charlessaint7926 Год назад

Reminds me of my grandfather. He served as a supply sergeant. Don't know how he did it, but he was able to get his hands on virtually anything you needed.

@aaronmorrison7716 4 месяца назад

In the military steal means Strategic Transfer of Equipment to Alternate Locations.

@rudymikula7129 Год назад

Great memory! He is an excellent narrator. He is so matter of fact talking about combat that was in the thick of the action.

@asullivan4047 Год назад

Interesting and informative. Special thanks to the major veteran ranger. Sharing personal information/combat experiences making this documentary more authentic and possible. Fighting/perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often possible. Yet still advanced forward regardless of the consequences. That's true grit style determination to succeed. Another shout out to the French resistance underground.

@emcarn8187 Год назад

What an astounding memory! Thanks for being part of the Greatest Generation.

@vppnbrent Год назад

Bless you buddy. You are my hero.

@louislochner5713 Год назад

Great content 👌🏼

@Stew357 Год назад

Fantastic interview, ty Gen. Raaen and AVC!

@M2M-matt 8 месяцев назад

A British WW2 veteran I spoke to said "my war was about 85% boredom and 15% sheer terror with a lot of luck thrown in". I believed him!!

@johnshields9110 Год назад

This man is not only brave, but intellgent! From my hometown/rural County, those from the Southern end were sent to Europe, and the Northern end sent to the Pacific. My future FIL and his brother fought in the Phillipenes (MIL built F6F's). My own Uncle was captured at the Buldge. All these brave men passed on the definition of service to your country. I have two brothers retired from the military, one an E9 Master Chief (a true deep ocean sailer) and the other a Captain directing Nuke missle silos. It is people like this all, who kept us, and most of the world -free.

@daviswall3319 Год назад

Crazy what these men went through. At some point we will have to understand how to stop fighting ourselves. I know it won’t happen anytime soon. The warlike nature of man has always been there. We evolved in the hunter gatherer society afterall. Is what it is. I am very glad you were there good sir to fight against the oppression that was upon us in this time. As a child of the 80’s I can only say that you are Rad and Bad and worthy of recognition. ☮️

@laurenced2916 Год назад

Ammunition is heavy but you'll be glad you're carrying it when a firefight starts

@Mag_Aoidh Год назад

Very sharp gentleman.

@petergreenwald9639 Год назад

This guy was a bloody soldier and an academic. I mean, what the hell did he learn in H.S. and the Academy that he just popped into Nuke school John Hopkins... That sort of mind is why his is still intact at the age he was when this was filmed. I will never envy these sort of people, but I sure as hell will admire them.

@adriansolomon6805 Год назад

My father served in 1944 in the DCLI and said little of his experience but he told me that " without the "yanks" we would have been in trouble. At one stage he was assigned an amphibian vehicle for a short time which he used as a taxi/ supply vehicle until it broke down and was pushed off the road and abandoned. So...thanks for your service Sir.

@mattstakeontheancients7594 3 месяца назад

Writing this the day after the 80th anniversary of d-day. Found this along with part 1 earlier on the 6th. Amazing interview especially for a man nearing 101. BOB is one of my favorites miniseries of all time and to hear someone who fought say how well it was done makes me like it that much more. Had the pleasure of meeting a few WW2 vets as teenager 20 years ago. Shared part 1 on my Facebook and hope people watch this interview. Very few of these heroic men left alive and saddened that future generations will never have the opportunity to meet any of them in person.

@Koldeman 7 месяцев назад

"The GREATEST Generation." Without a doubt, anyone who values freedom & liberty owes a debt of gratitude that cannot be paid. The best we can do is live our lives to the fullest & stand up against oppression in every way, large or small. God bless you, Sir. It can't be overstated how important & precious it is to document & preserve these stories for generations to come. Those who fail to acknowledge history are doomed to repeat it.

@boydingo8658 Год назад

Just a wildly bright man. Thank god for men like him

@oregonosha3676 Год назад

This man is a living, breathing, walking piece of history. Glad his story could be recorded for us to see.

@jscho8674 11 месяцев назад

Well said!!

@Cody_Buck Год назад

Absolutely astonishing that he is still able to tell the story so clearly and vividly. Thank you for your service, Major General Raaen. You are a hero.

@davelane4055 Год назад

The man is why WE THE PEOPLE citizen soldiers take the oath

@adriansolomon6805 Год назад

This is a real man who fought for the freedom that is being eroded. This is why all people here in the UK and US need to stand up for these heroes.

@jshepard152 Год назад

37:25 General Raaen weighs in on Band of Brothers.

@Bep-hm3vo 3 месяца назад

I absolutely love this gentleman He is so like my grandfather. What a memory! An amazing storyteller. Definitely my favorite interview! Thank you!,

@scarletred8888 Год назад

Such precise details! Amazing account from a great man with his memory 100% intact!

@olivias.3071 Год назад

Bless you!

@tysonvanwagoner57 Год назад

This mans recall is second to none. An incredible interview!

@lucas82 Год назад

As hard as it would be to be an infantryman in WW2 I can't possibly imagine what it must have been like to command dozens or hundreds of 18-20 year old fighting men, knowing full well that they could die obeying your orders.

@thophunter614 Год назад

God Bless all of you Veterans. Thank you for your service

@jscho8674 11 месяцев назад

It was an honor to listen to this amazing man tell his story. Thank you so much.

@judywilliams1928 Год назад

THAT WAS A Warning FROM GOD#! Thank you for your service. It's so hard to see the beginnings AGAIN #!

@bensmitt7088 Год назад

I could listen to this forever

@davidkimmel4216 7 месяцев назад

Reading the General’s after action reports would be some of the most interesting reading. Thanks Again General.

@2North0Star6 Год назад

This has to be one of the better war stories I’ve ever heard

@tnreprasentog7769 Год назад

For those who don't know, this guy was pretty much the equivalent of Tom Hanks Character in Saving Private Ryan... Except wayy more badass and the real deal

@seanmurry6903 5 месяцев назад

Was Tom hanks an officer? I thought he was an NCO?

@tnreprasentog7769 5 месяцев назад

@@seanmurry6903 nah Tom Hanks character was a captain in the rangers like this guy

@tnreprasentog7769 5 месяцев назад

@@seanmurry6903 Tom Sizemore's character on the other hand was an NCO.. He was a Staff SGT

@aegontargaryen9322 Год назад

Full respect to this true American hero from the UK

@louismarucci9056 Год назад

I just wish a date would come added to these interviews

@davidkimmel4216 7 месяцев назад

What a great clear mind. Wonderful interview. Another of the Greatest Generation Men.

@thesaneparty4079 Год назад

The cold-fish meeting with Rudder is a great story.

@hawk1548 Год назад

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. God bless you Sir

@squint04 Год назад

Thank you for your service sir!!!

@danielerickson5175 6 месяцев назад

What an amazing man! 100 years old with such amazing recall for such historical details. a treasure trove of information for historians to notate. I’m trying to remember all the details from corporate directives from last week !

@EricD-ve4cx 9 месяцев назад

Thank you for your service sir

@robertbandusky9565 Год назад

Another American hero from the “Greatest Generation “ 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@autisticdrone. 2 месяца назад

He is a very interesting man, he told his experiences very well. I hope he is still around to educate others in the real historical facts of WW2. 🇬🇧👍🇺🇸

@Dougie1350 Год назад

Sharper than people half his age. An amazing gentleman.

@Convoycrazy Год назад

Gotta add this to my favorites, this was amazing

@frankhoffman3566 6 месяцев назад

Many Germans were stunned at the ability of Americans to quickly adapt away from losing strategies. They were known to have thought new American troops poor, but combat experienced Americans as deadly. You can just tell by listening to this man why that was. His intelligence and competence shines through even now. How lucky we were and are to have had such men on our side.

@masterkraft4746 5 месяцев назад

wow, I'm truly enjoying this channel and hearing these heroes explain their truly bad-ass stories ! These were THE MEN

@dotell3359 Год назад

This is one remarkable man who went through hell and took care of all of his men. From one veteran to another I salute you sir with the highest respect. 25:54

@dexculpepper-py1jr Год назад

Great story, GOD bless

@kilcar Год назад

Don't " bleep" or censor in any way this man's testimony. I weary at the censorship. We are supposed to have a free society, which includes the Freedom of Speech. EXACTLY why this man fought for our Freedom! His testimony is too valuable and , we are all adults here.

@surfcruzer Год назад

I love Band of Brothers and I love my American brothers and sisters.

@KevinLee-hu1lj Год назад

When I listened to his stories, I wish someone out there could recreate a few of the "Holy Cow!"combat incidences he described, maybe in the soon to be released WWII mod to Arma III. Salute!

@joanofarc708 Год назад

Rip those brave men

@TheNextGoogification Год назад

Quite a bit turns up when you Google this interesting fellow General Raaen, the last living D-Day Ranger Officer

@saschayufer2474 9 месяцев назад

ty for your service in ww2 General Raaen merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family sir.

@jonnyref3475 9 месяцев назад

Absolutely superb stories and a great overview of the challenges the Rangers faced. Great work by AVC for bringing these important interviews to new audiences.

@shafur3 Год назад

Great Vidieo ! Thank you

@yossarianmnichols9641 4 месяца назад

wow, the detail this guy can recall is incredible. I forget what I had for lunch yesterday.

@michaeledwards7668 Год назад

By far the greatest generation.

@pattysoucie24 Год назад

Awesome video !!

@kevbrix9686 9 месяцев назад

Sir, thank you!!!

@homer5802 5 месяцев назад

What a great speaker.

@tfred2129 Год назад

You set the standard, sir! Thankyou! I'd love to shake your hand and buy you a beer and swap shit hit the fan stories. Rltw!

@kosmokritikos9299 Год назад

This is amazing, especially if you have some familiarity with the geography of that part of France.

@armybeef68 Год назад

15:54 I wish I would have learned the purpose of a foxhole when I was in basic training, we were just told to "dig a hole" We had no idea why we were doing what we were doing. (And for those of you civilians wondering, when a mortar lands the shrapnel spreads out, so when you're in a foxhole the shrapnel will fly over you, same with getting shot at, you have somewhere below ground to hide)

@DLo336 10 месяцев назад

First off now it is called a fighting hole. And if you were told to “just dig a hole” you had a pos POG DS. There is wayy more to it than just digging a hole

@donlaity4801 10 месяцев назад

Unbelievable recall of detail ! Incredible !!!

@morrisdomke8920 Год назад

Thank You For ALL YOU HAVE DONE TO HELP ME BE AN AMERICAN!!!!

@bo0tsy1 Год назад

Pretty scary, you go into combat with what you needed, and ran out. Hedgerows combat is even scarier. We would call them wind breaks, after the dustbowl, you planted trees between crop land. In europe, they cut down trees for crops.