This is John Batcher, conversation with my good friend Patrick O'Donnell for his book, Dog Company,

The Boys of Buantuag.

This is the story of the Rangers who landed on D-Day to climb cliffs to destroy German guns that ranged over the Allied landing.

However, in this moment, one team of the Rangers does not get a proper radio signal and therefore diverts to its secondary target.

Omaha Beach, where the 29th Division, the combat teams, are bogged down with German gunfire in all directions.

The Rangers arrive and provide the momentum to carry the beat.

It changes history, as Patrick explains.

Here's Patrick O'Donnell on It changes history as Patrick explains.

Here's Patrick O'Donnell on the accidents of history that lead to a positive outcome.

More of this later.

Is that a radio message from James Eichner is also not received by the fifth ranger battalion and they proceed to their secondary

objective.

It's Lieutenant Gamboz's helmet,

which I have right back here.

It's a painted helmet with gas resistant paint.

And he was wearing that on D-Day.

He was communications officer for the Fifth Ranger, but Italian.

Did not receive the most important message and they proceed to their secondary objective, which is Omaha Beach. Max Schneider is leading it and they change the course of history because they are exactly

at the right time at the right place as Omaha Beach at that time is being solved and hung up and

there's really a plant to potentially

basically disembark from the beach and go back on the ship.

So I mean things are so precarious there. So a mistake, these mistakes change the course of history and that's important to the point of hot operation is so important because not only do they neutralize the guns but the secondary objective

...