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Day 82nd Airborne Paratrooper OSS Special Forces Commander of Operation Rype

Stanley Bell

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Published in Among The Firsts: Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard L Bolland S Unconventional War: D Day 82nd Airborne Paratrooper OSS Special Forces Commander Of Operation Rype

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Colonel Richard "Dick" Day was an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, OSS Special Forces Commander, and the man behind Operation Rype, a daring raid that captured the German radar station at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day.

Among the Firsts: Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard L. Bolland's Unconventional War: D-Day 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, OSS Special Forces Commander of Operation Rype

by Matthew T Bolland

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Day was born in 1912 in New York City. He graduated from West Point in 1936 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II and earned a Silver Star for his actions at the Battle of Anzio.

In 1944, Day was recruited by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS),the forerunner of the CIA. He was assigned to lead Operation Rype, a mission to capture the German radar station at Pointe du Hoc. The radar station was a critical part of the German defenses on the Normandy coast, and its capture was essential for the success of the D-Day landings.

Day's team of 225 men parachuted into Normandy on the night of June 5, 1944. They landed near Pointe du Hoc and began their assault on the radar station. The Germans were well-prepared for the attack, and the fighting was fierce. However, Day's men eventually prevailed, and they captured the radar station by dawn.

The capture of the radar station at Pointe du Hoc was a major victory for the Allies. It helped to ensure the success of the D-Day landings and paved the way for the liberation of France.

Day continued to serve in the OSS after the war. He helped to establish the CIA and served as its first deputy director. He retired from the CIA in 1961.

Day died in 2000 at the age of 88. He was a decorated war hero and a pioneer in the field of special operations.

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Day 82nd Airborne Paratrooper OSS Special Forces Commander Of Operation Rype Among The Firsts: Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard L Bolland S Unconventional War: D Day 82nd Airborne Paratrooper OSS Special Forces Commander Of Operation Rype

## Further Reading

* [Colonel Richard "Dick" Day](https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/richard-day) * [Operation Rype](https://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Rype) * [Pointe du Hoc](https://www.worldwar2history.info/pointe-du-hoc.html)

Among the Firsts: Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard L. Bolland's Unconventional War: D-Day 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, OSS Special Forces Commander of Operation Rype

by Matthew T Bolland

4.4 out of 5