united_states ranger light infantry company united_states_army active korean war small special forces unit specialized irregular warfare airborne ranger companies formed fall trained graduated november end 1st 2nd 4th companies deployed early combat korea drawn heavily replace training losses deploying companies received completed second cycle ranger training ranger training center fort georgia company deployed south_korea march assigned months reconnaissance scouting unit north korean people positions company known battle bloody ridge april mission able push opposing force company later supported battle river later summer company stealth target acquisition force chinese positions spotting concentrations troops equipment artillery attack company august merged alongside ranger units origins june outbreak korean war invaded trained equipped troops easily overrun smaller poorly equipped united_states united_nations began intervention campaign prevent south_korea collapsing troops engaged north battle badly defeated july better trained north saw steady stream defeats pushed tip peninsula mile fortification dubbed august time north korean agents began infiltrate lines attack military targets cities units spread perimeter having difficult time units guerrilla warfare north korean special forces units defeated troops irregular warfare tactics effectively prompting army chief staff general order creation elite force infiltrate enemy lines attack command posts artillery tank parks key communications centers facilities army ranger units disbanded world war required time consuming training expensive equipment defeat strength infantry units question commanders felt ranger units essential early august beginning command forces korea ordered lieutenant colonel head miscellaneous division create new experimental army ranger unit meantime established fort georgia organization successful development test unit united_states_army bring army ranger units additional ranger companies ordered companies small light infantry special forces units specialized irregular warfare new formulated based documents ranger units world war organized headquarters element men oversaw lack battalion support clerical transportation supply mess kitchen support 3rd company acquire personnel vehicles equipment needed support operations resulted involvement considerably highly trained personnel called toe platoon squads men platoon sergeant assistant platoon sergeant platoon guide squad men man carried automatic rifle bar largest weapon platoon mortars rifles super carried company ton cargo truck seldom company authorized vehicles ton cargo truck company heavily armed strength fire power standard infantry companies like numbered ranger companies organization called officers enlisted men troops ranger company airborne qualified heavily recruited troops completed spite ranger operation conflict required airborne landing airborne ranger graduation november ranger given black gold shoulder sleeve insignia days later ranger issued blue white instructed korea august merged bring strength airborne qualified combat experienced replacements moved japan southern island secret mission save north_korea ranger officers met mess hall camp japan senior rangers meeting designed type patch similar ranger patches center ranger airborne underneath left company number right later date states patches airborne ranger underneath history formation training pool applicants selected officers enlisted men ranger companies october entirely white fourth african american company organized days later organized october assuming lineage company 3rd ranger battalion initial strength enlisted men officers unit formally activated october fort placed command captain later promoted captain december executive officer rangers trained extensively reconnaissance long range patrols setting land navigation camouflage adjusting indirect fire undertook frequent live fire exercises night raids rangers trained hours week ran miles day frequently held miles speed marches considered traditions ranger training world war training numbered companies included program second lieutenant train spite percent rate men completed course graduated november 1st 2nd embarked korea shortly training complete retained fort train cycle rangers 5th 6th 7th 8th providing 1st 4th companies cover training losses 3rd men left mid december took additional men completed second cycle ranger training proved beneficial given cold weather training alongside 5th 8th companies fort colorado training cycle complete ranger units korea received training unprepared korean winter received additional training better prepared combat including tactics companies learned battle designation targets night attacks received rifles kept cargo truck necessity break rifle team man crew served weapon didn happen entire company trained forward observers artillery march 3rd 5th 8th companies sailed korea trip frequent discipline problems rangers continuously got fights marines board route spending night japan morning sailed rangers arrived korea march disembarked spending night companies continued landing ship tank arriving march separated sister companies attached near division engaged intense battle chinese forces attempting push north entered action april tank infantry task force conducting aggressive reconnaissance wide valley near river encountering village 3rd platoon cleared village killed chinese lead elements tank company 3rd platoon taken tank company commander wanted company west center valley continuing north captain executive officer near rear company column riding tank called radio instructed come control 1st 2nd time reached crossing small hills north crossed hills radio operator wounded chinese mortar rounds took radio walker joined hill called instructions responded tanks tanks passed gap hills soon tanks moved high speed join company center valley rangers started forward nose ridge fire coming yards ahead began taking casualties machine gun rifle fire yards ridge received heavy mortar barrage resulting number wounded received couple gun rounds lower left leg shortly couple light tanks arrived 1st tanks bore sighted guns machine guns blew away yards chinese trench base ridge nose received heavy volley grenades abandoning protocol start charge supposed hit ground knowing trouble getting rangers hit ground got rangers took ridge nose bayonet grenade fight position secure reported rangers capable continuing seriously wounded continue called instructions instructed join tanks 3rd platoon center valley 2nd platoon supporting 1st platoon fire hill left flank 2nd platoon lead followed remnant 1st platoon tanks 3rd platoon moved center wide valley thousand yards northwest fortunately yards sniper fire higher ridge right able gain cover foot field joined 3rd platoon center valley moved company tanks small hill ahead tank company commander moved tanks final objective day yards ahead brought company small hill got organized radio operator day wounded mortar round hit tank wounded trip clearing station way noticed thousand yard gap saw fighting elements continuing tank battalion strongly suggested gap closed dark replaced line addition wounded able continue rangers killed wounded evacuated engagement company advanced valley sniper artillery fire located destroyed chinese communications supply center end returning lines killed chinese fight division commanders considered mission success spite high casualty count action rangers adopted new motto die die picked nickname cold steel division commander observing action senior officers heard rangers like cold steel missions despite suffering percent casualties time reinforcements remained line reconnaissance element division advanced pressing gains chinese company guard vital bridge combat engineers division elements form task force rogers task force north searching chinese concentrations encounter chinese troops april chinese conducted sector striking east followed struck near rangers position task force assigned rescue group 3rd division tanks disabled miles inside chinese territory advancing suppressed chinese ambush chinese attack advanced mortar attack took hills surrounding tanks returned stranded tanks lines cost wounded april rangers tanks engineers conducted probe chinese positions ensure launch surprise attack nearby republic formations encountering chinese companies dug hill route attack ordered surprise attack hill successful pushing chinese forces outlying fortifications moved reinforce cut hill troops folded attack days intense fighting foot marching rangers moved relieve british troops despite percent strength encountering heavy resistance initially unable break chinese formations relieve british chinese forces destroying tank column sent assist rangers attacking 3rd ranger company sides dug hill rangers eventually forced withdraw defense rangers broken momentum chinese offensive target acquisition unit moved offensive early scout chinese concentrations artillery destroy actions viewed historians instances rangers korea effectively employed force terrain difficult conventional units chinese forces offensive recalled parachute proficiency training objections commanders considered company company spent weeks division reserve undertook missions convoy security guarding command posts surveillance visiting patrols lines rearguard actions rangers evacuated village member unit corporal captured chinese june company returned operated target acquisition unit paired reconnaissance company artillery battery forward air control party known task force positioned miles ahead main division positions unit placed warn rest lines chinese attack time lines battle begun largely stabilize armies fortified stationary positions rangers abilities final mission disbandment july division holding strategically important ground attempt strengthen forces evacuated hills southern base triangle positioning rangers appear manned hills days patrols ordered aggressive patrol strike chinese positions nights ambushed chinese patrols causing casualties suffering july ordered ranger companies army noted ranger companies exercise directed pentagon complete august korea like ranger units ranger veterans folded airborne skills airborne jump war awards decorations awarded campaign unit service korean war unit designated company 3rd battalion 75th unit carries lineage
3rd Ranger Infantry Company (United States)