A group of local retired Rangers is leading the way in an effort to build a new memorial for 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment (2/75) Soldiers.

The Pointe du Hoc Foundation (PDHF), named after the pivotal D-Day Ranger mission in Normandy in 1944, began work just five months ago. Though its long-term goal is to provide education and scholarship programs for 2/75 Soldiers and families, the non-profit group's first order of business is to raise $500,000 for the construction of new memorial at the 2/75 headquarters on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Upcoming construction near the compound means that the current 2/75 memorial, an obelisk engraved with the names of fallen 2/75 Rangers, will need to be moved, said PDHF Chairman and former 2/75 Commander Michael Okita, a retired colonel who lives in DuPont. "We wanted to enhance the memorial," he said, "and make it more representative of Rangers and their contributions."

The new memorial will feature an inlaid unit scroll, a World War II-era orange diamond insignia and a bayonet. The current memorial will be relocated to "the tip of the bayonet" at the new site, so "when the men of 2nd Ranger Battalion assemble in ranks, fallen Rangers will always be a part of the formation," according to information on the foundation's website.

The current 2/75 command team is 100-percent behind the effort, Okita said. "They're excited about the opportunity to create something like this."

To raise money, the PDHF is selling individual square and diamond-shaped stones as well as corporate and donor stones. Costs range from $150 for an 8" x 8" individual square to $25,000 for a 36" x 36" corporate stone.

All will be used in constructing the memorial and adjacent walkways. Stones of Rangers who have served within the 75th Ranger Regiment will comprise the scroll; those who served in combat with 2/75 will make up the diamond, Okita said. However, "there are ways for honorary 2/75 Soldiers or those with a special place in the Regiment to have a stone approved," he added. "The whole footprint of the memorial will have room for everyone."

So far, the PDHF has raised about $35,000. "We've got a long way to go," Okita admitted, but said the group remains optimistic that it will break ground on the new memorial next spring as planned.

"Just as the Pointe du Hoc Monument in Normandy represents and commemorates the heroic actions of Rudder's Rangers," writes the foundation, "Our memorial will be an iconic symbol of the courage and sacrifice of those who serve and support 2nd Ranger Battalion."

For more information or to donate, visit http://pointeduhocfoundation.com/ or email info@pointeduhocfoundation.com.