"2d Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) Korean War, 1950-51" Topic

I found this information and review about a book out called "The US Army's First, Last, And Only All-black Rangers: The 2d Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) in the Korean War, 1950-1951" by Edward Posey,

"The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) was the first and only all-black Ranger unit in the history of the United States Army. The company's life span covered ten months, from selection and training through a seven-month combat deployment in Korea, after which the unit was deactivated. The 2nd and 4th Rangers were among the units initially assigned to the Eighth Army and were considered to be "combat ready."

The 2nd Ranger Company battled North Korean and Communist Chinese Forces near Tangyang, Majori-ri, and Chechon. The 2nd Ranger Company conducted the first airborne assault in Ranger history near the town of Munsan-ni and executed the heroic attack and defense of Hill 581. The men of the 2nd Ranger Company demonstrated courage, served with honor, and achieved a magnificent combat record.

Edward Posey's The US Army's First, Last, and Only All-Black Rangers: The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) in the Korea War, 1950-1951 is the first complete history of this elite all-volunteer unit whose members were drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion. As a member of the unit, Posey bases his account on firsthand experience, official records, interviews with survivors, and other material to produce a rich and worthy addition to the growing literature on the Korean War. Posey's study explains the obstacles these patriotic men faced, their sacrifices, and their courageous actions on the far side of the world.

Finally, more than fifty years after the end of the war, the world will learn the true story of the United States Army's first, only, and last all-black Ranger unit.

About the Author: Master Sergeant (Ret) Edward L. Posey joined the US Army in 1947. After serving with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment, he volunteered for airborne training with the Rangers in 1950 and served with distinction in the Korean War (where he was wounded). Sergeant Posey retired from the service in 1969. In 2002, he was inducted in the Ranger Hall of Fame for his dedication to duty and distinguished military career."

It sound very interesting and I wasn't aware of this unit at all. It would be different to game the first airborne assault in Ranger history near the town of Munsan-ni and executed the heroic attack and defense of Hill 581. Not to mention the battles with North Korean and Communist Chinese Forces near Tangyang, Majori-ri, and Chechon.
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Robert

The Ranger Companies formed during the Korean War are unknown to most. They're in the consolidated lineage and honors of the 75th Ranger Regiment, however, because they all took the lineage and honors of elements of the World War II-era Ranger Infantry Battalions.

The pertinent part of the lineage for the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company is that Company A, 2nd Infantry Battalion (previously 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion) was redesignated on 25 October 1950 as the 2d Ranger Infantry Company and allotted to the Regular Army. It was activated on 28 October 1950 at Fort Benning, Georgia and then inactivated on 1 August 1951 in Korea.

Here's some additional info too. Though the unit was inactive at the time, the parts were put back together in terms of unit lineage and honors in 1952, with the unit being redesignated while inactive back to the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion. In 1955 it was redesignated again back to 2nd Infantry Battalion and activated in Iceland as the main ground defense element of the Iceland Defense Force (IDF). The 2nd Infantry Battalion Combat Team served there until 1960, when the decision was made to base the ground contingent of the IDF in CONUS, to be forward deployed in a wartime scenario.

In the US Militaria collecting Group I belong to there is this thread which talks about them too,

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Robert

It is good to see them get some attention. Their World War II- and Vietnam-era brethren get a fair amount.

I agree.I found this while looking around. Kinda surprising. Robert

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That craptastic "Miracle at St. Anna" gets made, when this real story is out there to be told…

If the picture's caption is actually referring to the patch on the soldier left front, I'm not sure what it is, but I know its not 7th Infantry Division, 187th Infantry Regiment, or Fifth Army.

It is the 5th Army.Robert

Looking at it again more closely, I'm now inclined to agree. It looked like a solid arrow to me at first.

Some good info here,

Ranger Companies (Airborne) of The Korean War
insigne.org/KW-Ranger-I.htm

Robert

"President Harry S. Truman had ordered the desegregation of the armed forces in 1948, but whether because of practical difficulties or by design, the Army was slow to implement the order. The 2nd Ranger Company (Airborne) was a segregated unit, comprising all African-Americans. Its assets were obtained from the 80th AAA Battalion (Airborne) and 3rd Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment (Airborne). Components of the 505th were integrated, except for the 3rd Battalion, which was segregated.

Sent to Fort Benning for training, the African-American Ranger candidates soon received a rude welcoming to the Columbus, Georgia area. Several incidents reminded the paratroopers where they were. A lieutenant was arrested for bailing out an enlisted man who had been arrested. Another paratrooper was threatened with arrest while driving his new Buick convertible off post. The same policeman stopped another paratrooper who had borrowed the Buick, believing the two paratroopers were the same person. The message was that the Buick was not to be driven off post. When the 2nd Company received orders for deployment to Korea, the Buick was driven to the Ranger's home over a route chosen with great care. As the troopers of the 2nd Company departed Fort Benning by troop train, one of the enlisted men arrived at the station with the police in hot pursuit. The Ranger effected his escape by leaping onto the moving train. Then the trooper turned and snapped a salute to the police officers, none of whom deemed the matter worth their sprinting after the train. The troop train carrying the 2nd Company joined the one carrying the 4th Company en route, and together they made their way to the west coast. Even though the two trains traveled together, there were periodic reminders that society did not view their occupants as equals: the train carrying the 2nd Company was forced to detour around train stations, while the one carrying the 4th Company went straight through. (4)

Gerard Germain, a member of the 1st Platoon, 2nd Company, recalled that "In Korea, our challenge was 'Buffalo' and the countersign was 'Mother F----r'. When faced with trouble anywhere, 2nd Company Rangers called out 'Buffalo' three times." (5)"

insigne.org/KW-Ranger-I.htm

The 187 ARCT was the only US Rgt size Airborne unit in Korea. Making at least 2 Combat Jumps during the conflict, IIRC. I saw the Munsan-ni DZ when I was in the ROK, '84-'85. I was with the 3/187, '80-'83, in the 101 … And IIRC, either after or before the war was over all the Ranger Cos. were deactivated and the troops sent to other units … These troops really need to mentioned more in histroy, they fought very well and with distinction …

They were inactivated before the Armistice. They were active for about a year between fall 1950 and fall 1951.

Thanks for that, I forgot … And, after looking at all the pics of that 2nd Ranger figure, it is very well done, great and accurate detail …

"The book itself has been well received by military scholars and was a finalist in the 2009 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards. It traces 2ND Company through training, with anecdotal recollections of recruitment, through its first action at Tanyang Pass to the Munsan-Ni para drop on 23 March 51, assaulting Hill 151, where Lt. Richard E Robinson became the first black paratrooper to make a combat jump and then to the Strategic Reserve stationed in the occupation of Japan. As one might expect, the paratroopers in training faced not only the traditional obstacles of troops in training and combat, but the resistance and bigotry of the Army in which they served. Thankfully there are a few things to counterbalance this sort of willful stupidity: for example, the aforementioned Lt. Robinson.

"…Lt. Richard E. Robinson, the only black officer in the 187TH Airborne RCT, was there because the white officer paratroopers of his OCS…said they would not go without him…because the rest refused to go with him, when the 187TH RCT jumped at Suk'ch'on, Korea, Robinson became the first black paratrooper in the United States Army to make a combat jump…"

As a unit, 2D Company took a beating, but its performance made it clear what a remarkable group of men it was. 64 of the 140 Rangers who served in 2D Company between 1950–1 retired after 20 years of service. 15 of them became officers and some went on to other branches (including the SEALs when they were formed). 6 million Americans served in Korea; 8% of them were black. 5,000 of them were Killed In Action and 13 of those were with 2D Co.

4 members of 2D Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) 187TH Regimental Combat Team were subsequently inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame, and the unit was awarded the Combat Infantry Streamer. This honor is a commendation for units that suffer more than 65% casualties to enemy action in one single engagement."

Read more: link
Under the Radar

Very good information ! Thanks !

You are welcome Legion. A very interesting unit indeed! Robert

From Wiki,

"Formation and training

The U.S. Army, which up until that point typically did not allow African-American soldiers to serve in special forces units, authorized African-Americans to apply to become Rangers. However, in spite of Executive Order 9981, which had de-segregated the U.S. military in 1948, the Army opted to pool all black applicants into one company. By 1950, most units were still de facto segregated, and in the 82nd Airborne Division, Ranger applicants came from the all-black units including the 3rd Battalion, 505th Airborne Infantry, the 758th Tank Battalion and the 80th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Many of the applicants were World War II veterans who had seen combat, and many others had served with the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion.[14]

Of a pool of 5,000 applicants, the Ranger Training School selected 22 officers and 314 enlisted men for the first three Ranger companies on 2 October, which were entirely white. A fourth, all African-American company was organized several days later.[6] The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) was organized on October 9, 1950, assuming the lineage of A Company of the 2nd Ranger Battalion. It had an initial strength of 135 enlisted men[5] and five officers under the command of First Lieutenant Warren E. Allen.[14] Originally it had been designated the 4th Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), but the two companies switched designations, apparently to prevent accusations of racial discrimination.[15]

The Rangers trained extensively in reconnaissance, long-range patrols, motorized scouting, setting up roadblocks, land navigation, camouflage, concealment, and adjusting indirect fire. They undertook frequent live fire exercises, many at night, simulating raids, ambushes and infiltrations.[3] The Rangers trained 60 hours per week and ran 5 miles (8.0 km) each day and frequently held 20 miles (32 km) speed marches, which were considered traditions for Ranger training from World War II.[16] In spite of a 30 percent dropout rate, most of the men completed the course and graduated 15 November 1950.[6] The Rangers left Fort Benning 3 December and traveled to Camp Stoneman, California with the 4th Ranger Company. They sailed for Japan on 9 December aboard the transport USS General H.W. Butner bound for the front lines in the Korean War. It arrived at Yokohama, Japan on 24 December, and was flown from Tachikawa Air Base to Taegu five days later. [17]
Korea

Arriving in Korea at 11:15 on 30 December, the 2nd Ranger Company was attached to the 32nd Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, X Corps which was regrouping in Yonchon having been badly mauled in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, which had signaled the unexpected entry of Chinese troops into the war.[18] The next day, the division was ordered to Tanyang and Wonju to block Chinese southward advance along main roads and railroads in the area. On 6 January the Rangers arrived at Changnim-ni with the regimental headquarters, where they were used as a security element for its medical units to protect them from infiltration.[18] The Rangers established counter-guerrilla patrols around the regiment's main aid station and headquarters. They first saw combat 7 January, driving off 20 North Korean guerrillas who had inadvertently run into one of their roadblocks. They then repulsed a company-sized second attack on the position.[19] In this action, the Rangers lost their first killed in action, Sergeant First Class Isaac Baker, as well as three wounded. The North Koreans had 50 killed. At 09:00 9 January, 3rd Platoon conducted a patrol to Changnim where they ambushed an advance North Korean patrol, killing 11 while suffering one wounded in a 6-hour firefight.[20]

On 14 January, the Rangers formed the Armoured spearhead of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry attack on the village of Majori-ri, as part of an offensive to push Chinese forces back from the Tanyang area. The company entered the village at 07:30 and was ambushed by a battalion of Chinese troops entrenched there in fortified positions. The Rangers were able to capture the village and fend off a counterattack with their heavy weapons, suffering five killed, five wounded while killing 100 Chinese soldiers.[20] However, as it moved to reinforce another U.S. infantry company advancing north, the 2nd Ranger Company was hit with a strong Chinese counterattack, and was forced to withdraw after running out of ammunition. It suffered another six killed and three wounded.[21]

"Colored troops who arrive in this division, if they have the proper MOS, will be assigned to the 2nd Ranger Company. Others who are assigned by error will be returned to the Eighth Army Replacement Battalion. Personnel will not be mixed within units. If Ranger Company becomes overstrength, another company will be formed."
—Major General Ned Almond's controversial order to keep the 2nd Ranger Company segregated by assigning non-Ranger black troops and blocking white Ranger replacements.[22]

Continued patrols and skirmishes in the Tanyang area, as well as non-battle casualties to frostbite and sickness in the middle of the Korean winter, whittled down the 2nd Ranger Company to 67 men by the end of January. X Corps commander Major General Ned Almond ordered all black replacements to the Ranger company, even though they had not been trained as Rangers. This action, seen as a racist move by historians, was done to keep Almond's troops segregated, but also reduced the effectiveness of the company since Ranger replacements were in short supply.[23]

The 7th Infantry Division reached full strength and saw action around Chungju and Pyongchang as part of an effort to push the North Korean and Chinese forces back above the 38th parallel and away from Seoul.[24] The 7th Infantry Division engaged in a series of successful "limited objective" attacks in the early weeks of February, a series of small unit attacks and ambushes between the two sides.[25] It would continue slowly advancing and clearing enemy hilltop positions through February.[26] In this time, the 2nd Ranger Company acted as a probing force and spearhead for attacks. On 20 February it led the 17th Infantry Regiment in an attack on Chuchon, taking the town from a superior force of Chinese troops. The action was undertaken with several war correspondents observing the battle, exposing the Ranger unit to international attention. A few days later, field commanders reported to The Pentagon that the company was performing extremely well, and it was pulled from the lines for a new mission.[27]

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"Members of the 2nd Ranger Company earned numerous awards for Valor. Unit awards include
the:
* Korean Presidential Unit citation
* Korean Service Medal
* Combat Infantry Streamer
* Bronze Arrowhead – For Parachute Assault at Munsan-ni
* Chinese communist Forces Intervention – BSM
* First United Nations Counter – Offensive – Bss
* Bronze Star in the center of parachute wings for combat jump at Munsan-ni
* Bronze Star for Spring Offensive
* Bronze Star for Summer Offensive
The troops of the famed 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) were all pioneers in their own
right. They blazed a trail though uncharted jungles they fought tenaciously and won against an
uncanny and sinister enemy. Their accomplishments on the field of battle are legendary and will
forever be recorded in the military annals of elite United States combat units"

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Officers of the 2nd Ranger Company going
over plans for a night attack by members of
the company against a North Korean held
town in the X Corps area of Central Korea.
Officers shown are, L-R: First Lieutenant
Warren E. Allen – Company Commander,
Lieutenant Vincent Wilburn – 2nd Platoon
Leader and Lieutenant James Queen -
Company Executive Officer 12 February 1951