2nd united_states 2nd airborne ranger light infantry company united_states_army active korean war small special operations unit specialized irregular warfare segregated unit personnel including officers african americans activated trained successor organization 2nd world war 2nd ranger company formed trained extensively airborne warfare deployed south_korea december company quickly adopted motto buffalo rangers worked extensively scouting force role company undertook major operations chinese people volunteer army including operation early racial politics resulted company receiving replacements performed small scale engagements time summer company employed line advance force push chinese attacks lines static company highly regarded actions capturing holding hill company inflicted hundreds casualties chinese single ranger killed disbanded august ranger companies unit soldiers awards month existence included campaign purple heart medals subsequent research focused economy force rangers employed performance impacted racist policies time origins june korean war began invaded trained equipped troops easily overran smaller poorly equipped response united_states united_nations began intervention campaign prevent south_korea collapsing troops engaged north battle badly defeated july better trained north suffered steady stream defeats pushed august time north korean agents began infiltrate lines attack military targets cities units spread perimeter difficult time units guerrilla warfare north korean special forces units like great success defeating troops prompting chief staff general order creation elite force infiltrate enemy lines attack command posts artillery tank parks key communications centers facilities army ranger units previously undertaken role disbanded world war required time consuming training expensive equipment defeat strength infantry units question commanders felt recreation ranger units essential early august began ordered lieutenant colonel head miscellaneous division create new experimental army ranger unit trial concept small light infantry companies specialized irregular warfare meantime established fort georgia organization successful development establishment additional ranger companies ordered composition new 2nd formulated documents world war ranger units 2nd organized heavily armed overseen headquarters element men platoon comprised men squads assault squads heavy weapons squad platoon furnished mortars super sniper designated platoon remainder troops equipped rifles authorized vehicles ton cargo truck overall company far heavily armed 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 initially wore black gold shoulder sleeve insignia insignia later redesignated rangers adopted black red white similar unofficially worn world war soon arriving korea unit took nickname buffalo rangers newspapers applied unit homage buffalo subsequently division motto patrols return company lines 2nd ranger company ranger company history consist entirely african americans history formation training point typically allow african american soldiers serve special forces units authorized african americans apply rangers spite executive order segregated military army opted pool black applicants company units facto segregated ranger applicants came black units including applicants world war veterans seen combat served pool applicants october selected officers enlisted men ranger companies entirely white fourth african american company organized days later 2nd airborne organized october assuming lineage company 2nd ranger battalion initial strength enlisted men officers command lieutenant company commander second lieutenant executive officer originally designated companies switched designations apparently prevent accusations racial discrimination unit formally activated october fort rangers trained extensively reconnaissance long range patrols scouting 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 rangers left fort december traveled california sailed japan december aboard transport uss general bound lines korean war company arrived japan december flown air base days later korea arriving korea december 2nd ranger company attached 32nd having badly battle signaled unexpected entry chinese troops war day division ordered block chinese southward advance main roads railroads area january rangers arrived regimental headquarters security element medical units protect rangers established counter guerrilla patrols regiment main aid station headquarters saw combat january driving north korean inadvertently run repulsed company sized second attack position action rangers lost killed action sergeant class wounded north killed january 3rd platoon conducted patrol ambushed advance north korean patrol killing suffering wounded hour company soon created attacking encountered dark effectively disrupted communications resupply local chinese guerrilla unit instead opted rangers area operation january rangers formed armored attack village offensive push chinese forces area company entered village ambushed battalion chinese troops entrenched fortified positions rangers able capture village fend counterattack heavy weapons suffering killed wounded killing chinese soldiers moved reinforce infantry company advancing north 2nd ranger company hit strong chinese counterattack forced withdraw running ammunition suffered killed wounded continued patrols skirmishes area non battle casualties sickness middle korean winter 2nd ranger company men end january commander major general ordered black replacements sent ranger company trained rangers action seen racist historians troops segregated ranger replacements short supply order effectively ensured company brought strength reduced company effectiveness reinforcements career fields including non combat troops joined company reached strength saw action effort push north korean chinese forces 38th parallel away seoul early february engaged series successful limited objective small unit attacks advancing slowly cleared enemy positions remainder month time 2nd acted force attacks february led 17th infantry regiment attack taking town superior force chinese troops action undertaken war observing battle bringing international attention ranger unit rangers commended particularly aggressive attack pursued surprised chinese column moving village attack fixed apparent chinese force larger anticipated chinese routed heavy fighting days later field commanders reported pentagon company performing extremely pulled lines new mission operation february 2nd ranger company attached alongside 4th ranger infantry company began unit training jumps tactical exercises preparation combat parachute drop exercises continued march force conducted aggressive large scale chinese north korean forces follow attack lieutenant general commander planned mission insert rangers chinese lines cut chinese supplies force retreat north seoul weeks training rangers reinforced platoon directly ranger school lieutenant march attached rangers dropped miles northwest seoul mission hold interfere chinese north korean logistical network 6th hours drop force left transports north korean coast 2nd dropped aircraft time history conducted aerial combat suffering rangers injured jump force nonetheless able surprise capture positions 19th division rangers moved south terrain feature known hill point company surprised overwhelmed chinese platoon village mile north hill killing capturing took hill despite north korean resistance killing capturing forcing north retreat hill rangers suffered killed wounded linked advancing days rangers commenced north korean chinese resistance advancing miles north april 2nd time 31st company spent month training replacements enlisted men company process transferring men units began units korea driven necessity began slowly rangers eventually settled force men white member unit rangers hill lines 31st 7th marine regiment 1st conducted frequent patrols outpost network encountering engaging chinese troops fortified hill surrounding areas served advance outpost warn chinese attacked period fighting entered troops resumed rest allen freeman left rotation number men leaving queen enlisted men hill hill shortly chinese began appearing regularly area queen discovered chinese moving force hill miles position chinese attack hill queen led platoon sneak attack chinese force covered 7th division artillery fire engaged surprised chinese conducting double supported continued artillery fire rangers secured hill chinese suffered killed wounded attack chinese troops force battalions infantry supported mortar fire aided 7th division artillery fire rangers held hill chinese resistance rangers repulsed successive chinese assaults battalions grenades running short ammunition point second chinese battalion commenced assault surprising rangers driving peak hill queen retook hill chinese gave attack having severely unsuccessful attempt hill chinese losses amounted killed injured rangers having relied tight dug positions suffered wounded battle commanders 7th stunned 2nd effectiveness fight result action company came considered model unit 2nd moved east help relieve 7th marines chinese attacks days intermittent fighting company conducted number search destroy missions culminated attack hill estimated company chinese troops previously pushed marines surprised rangers forced withdraw losing killed rangers wounded final battles disbandment june peace talks underway ranger company employed aggressively offensive roles means secure better position table number operations north 38th parallel 7th division june rangers moved attack hill operation crafted allen win strategically high ground position line morning company support artillery advanced hill strikes chinese forces resisted sporadically withdrew end day having lost men killed thirty wounded rangers lost seven wounded july rangers continued attack backed 31st seized high ground near forced chinese troops retreat attack ranger killed wounded following fighting 38th parallel occurred sides took time positions conduct fewer patrols need offensive action diminished july ordered ranger companies army noted establishment ranger companies trial directed pentagon completed decision clarified relation 2nd ranger company army stating racial differences prevented company effectively offensive operations result decision ranger units 2nd august korea like ranger units 2nd veterans folded airborne unit believed sending men airborne skills end turned operation airborne jump war result rangers chance exercise skills awards decorations 2nd awarded campaign service korean war unit designated company 2nd battalion 75th unit carries 2nd lineage rangers company received numerous individual decorations rangers received received total purple heart medals awarded members company rangers receiving rangers receiving analysis 2nd sixteen ranger companies formed seven combat korea subsequent military science studies korean war rangers analyzed economy force focusing military employed rangers special forces thorough analysis operations ranger units korean war major proposed thesis rangers korea ineffective contended ranger formations lack support personnel logistical administrative liability attached conventional units support furthermore argued small size ranger units meant lacked manpower conduct basic tactical maneuvers employment divisional elements meant necessary intelligence information conduct effective operations concluded problems lack understanding ranger capabilities limitations inherent rangers force structure basic distrust elite forces thesis lieutenant colonel said 2nd performance korea spite racial discrimination troops trained members airborne units joining company quickly gained exceptional soldiers bond contended rangers properly receive credit actions korea noting company receive units attached decorated bond said accomplishments company attributed white units command climate precipitated war 2nd honored korean war documentary war directed members 2nd interviewed film include recalls unit unique combat accomplishments recalls encounter north korean tree sniper recalls caring wounded white soldier ends interview line bullets start fly color
2nd Ranger Infantry Company (United States)