ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Five Army Rangers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state have summited North America’s highest mountain.
Army officials say the soldiers reached the 20,320-foot summit of Mount McKinley in Alaska Friday night, just in time to for the Memorial Day weekend.
The Rangers — assigned to 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment — made the climb in honor of the 11 Rangers from 2/75 who have died in the line of duty. At McKinley’s summit, the soldiers planted a 2/75 flag with the names of the 11 Rangers.
Officials say the climbing team reached the summit in difficult conditions that led to the death Thursday of two climbers on another team.
Officials say the soldiers helped in the rescue of two other climbers in that four-man team at 17,000 feet.
