RANGER HISTORY
PRE WORLD WAR II
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Colonel Benjamin Church (c. 1639 – January 17, 1718) commanded what are considered the first American Rangers. He was commissioned to form a company of Rangers after the outbreak of King Philip’s War and later served against the French during King William’s War and Queen Anne’s War.
During Queen Anne’s War, Church undertook his fifth and final expedition into Acadia in response to the Deerfield Massacre on February 29, 1704, which was believed to have been conducted by Native forces allied with the French. In addition to killing many settlers, the Abenaki and their allies took more than 100 captives overland to Montreal and Mohawk villages south of the St. Lawrence River.
On March 18, 1704, Church was commissioned as a colonel by Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley and placed in command of a force tasked with raiding French settlements in Acadia in retaliation for Deerfield. This expedition included the Raid on Castine (Maine), the Raid on St. Stephen (New Brunswick), the Raid on Grand-Pré, the Raid on Pisiguit (present-day Falmouth and Windsor), and the Raid on Chignecto.
Church meticulously planned the expedition. He specified the design of the whaleboats to be used and even the type of hatchets his soldiers were to carry. He brought John Gyles, who had previously been held captive by the Maliseet, to serve as his translator. Church took prisoners during the campaign and later claimed to have left only five houses standing in parts of Acadia. During the Raid on Pisiguit (1704), he captured Noël Doiron, identified as a leader associated with the Deerfield raid.
Although Church left no formal military doctrine, his memoirs provide considerable detail about his methods. Scholars have summarized his practices according to the following principles:
Planning each operation in advance, leaving little to chance.
Ensuring soldiers were properly trained, fed, and equipped.
Building alliances with potential partners, including Native American tribes often overlooked or mistrusted by other commanders.
Using stealth and surprise to tactical advantage.
Understanding how tactical actions supported broader strategic objectives.
Leading from the front by example.
Maintaining communication with both higher and subordinate elements.
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The historical context of Ranger often intersects with Rogers Rangers and the start of the Revolutionary War.
WORLD WAR II
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On 1 April 1943, the original 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions were formed at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. Both battalions were officially activated in September 1943 and shipped to Great Britain, where they were prepared for Operation Overlord as part of the six Ranger battalions that served in the Second World War.
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On April 30, 1945, while Darby was issuing orders for the attack on Trento to cut off a German retreat, an artillery shell burst in the middle of the assembled officers and NCOs, killing Darby and a regimental Sergeant Major, John "Tim" Evans, and wounding several others. "Task Force Darby" continued with their mission. Two days later, on May 2, 1945, all German forces in Italy surrendered.
Despite his untimely death, COL Darby's legacy as the founder of the U.S. Army Rangers and his contributions to the Allied victory during World War II continue to be remembered and honored by the military community. His leadership and vision played a significant role in developing the Rangers as one of the world's most elite and respected special operations forces.
KOREAN WAR
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The 3rd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) fought the Battle of Bloody Nose Ridge on 11 April 1951. The company deployed to South Korea on 24 March 1951 and was assigned to the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division for four months, where it was used as a reconnaissance and scouting unit, probing Chinese People’s Volunteer Army positions.
The company is known for the battle on 11 April, where, on its first mission as part of a tank-infantry task force, it was able to push back the opposing force several hundred meters. Before returning to 3rd Infantry Division lines, the company had killed over 100 Chinese soldiers in the close fight, losing four Rangers killed and eleven wounded.
It was during this action that the Rangers adopted their new motto, “Die, Bastard, die!” They also picked up the nickname “Cold Steel Third” when the division commander, Major General Robert H. Soule, who was observing the action with other senior officers, was heard to say, “There go my Rangers. They like that cold steel.”
The company later supported the 3rd Infantry Division at the Battle of the Imjin River.
An ARSOF History note about the fight: 'Cold Steel Third': The 3rd Ranger Infantry Company
COLD WAR
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VIETNAM WAR
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POST COLD WAR
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Operation Eagle Claw was an operation designed to rescue 52 American hostages held in Tehran, Iran, during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The operation involved multiple aircraft and stages, including refueling stops in the Iranian desert. During Operation Eagle Claw, three Marines and five Airmen lost their lives in a tragic accident that occurred during the initial staging of the operation.
Maj Richard L. Bakke*
Maj Harold L. Lewis Jr.*
Maj Lyn D. McIntosh
SSgt Dewey L. Johnson
Sgt John D. Harvey
TSgt Joel C. Mayo*
Capt Charles T. McMillan II
Capt Halvor D. Sorensen* The three were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in a grave marked by a common headstone in Section 46, Grave 1129-3, located about 25 feet from the Operation Eagle Claw memorial. The Memorial, dedicated in 1983, commemorates the eight who died trying, and is near the Memorial Amphitheater and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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Elements of the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment (now the 1st Ranger Battalion) concluded their deployment in Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm on this date in 1991.
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POST 9/11
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On 24 March 2003, the 3rd Ranger Battalion, initially augmented by snipers and reconnaissance elements from C Squadron, 1st SFOD-D, attacked Haditha Dam in northern Iraq (code-named Objective Lynx) by conducting an airborne assault onto the nearby H1 airfield (code-named Objective Serpent) to set conditions for follow-on forces, and then launched their ground assault on the fortified dam. They were joined by elements of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (two AH-6 and one MH-6 Little Birds, as well as their support elements). Haditha Dam is a key and strategic part of Iraq’s infrastructure, providing one-third of Iraq’s electrical power. The task force attacked, held, and seized the dam against repeated and concentrated artillery and armored attacks by the Republican Guard and Fedayeen for over six days, until 1 April 2003, when they were relieved. At times, the Little Birds were firing well within danger-close ranges to protect the Rangers (at times as close as 12 meters). In just one day, the Little Birds alone expended 231 rockets, 66,000 rounds of 7.62mm minigun ammunition, and 8,000 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition.
On 3 April 2003, Rangers SSG Nino Livaudais, SPC Ryan Long, and CPT Russell Rippetoe were killed by a VBIED detonated by a suicide bomber who used a pregnant woman as a distraction at the Ranger blocking position near the dam. When the bomb detonated, it killed the three Rangers, the pregnant decoy, her unborn child, and the bomber.
During the battle, Rangers earned Purple Heart Medals, four Silver Star Medals, 26 Bronze Star Medals, and 71 Army Commendation Medals. Two of the Silver Star Medals were for actions on 30 March 2003.
One was awarded to the 3rd Ranger Battalion Command Sergeant Major, Greg Birch. The citation reads:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an Act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Command Sergeant Major Alfred G. Birch, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force while serving in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in Iraq on 31 March 2003. Throughout the battle, Command Sergeant Major Birch continuously walked in the open despite enemy fire, instilling confidence in the youngest Soldiers. He also provided advice and recommendations to operational leaders. Command Sergeant Major Birch’s courage, gallantry under fire, and professional competence contributed directly to the mission’s success. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
News reports about the battle:
US Special Operators Held Off Iraqi Forces at Battle of Haditha Dam - Business Insider
The Haditha Dam Seizure - The Target | Defense Media Network
The Haditha Dam Seizure: The Taking of Objective Cobalt | Defense Media Network
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