Posted on 08/01/2007 8:11:54 AM PDT by pissant
Interesting stuff. thanks.
“Here is a pot stirring piece of trivia, I served with a Special Forces soldier that earned his “ Green Beret” tab in Vietnam with out attending the course.”
I know that what you say here is so - they took what training they got on a Vn island the name of which I cannot remember....most of these guys had a desire for MACV-SOG ops and the Army accomodated them but first required a 90-day-wonder sort of training/qualification/muster program for them.
Well, were proud of you here!
And sorry for the reflexive newbie comment. LOL. I’ve been hardwired with skepticism lately.
I would love to hear him tell his story someday. Looks like you preceeded him by a year or two.
Thank YOU for your service. And Rangers do indeed lead the way.
Yep. they know he’s in the Reagan mold.
Great find, RM.
I think is is entirely possible, and even likely to be assigned to the 75th Rangers without being a Ranger. This would make it proper to wear the 75th patch without the Ranger tab above it. So far as I can see, Hunter has not claimed to have been a Ranger, but mentioning his duty in 75th caused many (myself included) to assume he was. The Ranger units have need for non-grunt/Ranger MOS’s, and I doubt that guys that earned the tab would be very enthusiastic about working as a supply sgt, LOL.
Let’s ask.
Sam, did your father obtain his Ranger tab while in the Army?
“Before winning his House seat in 1980, Hunter was an Army ranger in the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers and used the G.I. Bill to attend Western State University Law School in San Diego — now Thomas Jefferson School of Law — before opening his own law practice.”
From PBS, but it could be wrong.
“I think is is entirely possible, and even likely to be assigned to the 75th Rangers without being a Ranger”
I believe it is just the opposite, a Ranger is a man that has served as a Ranger in the battalions, whether he is tabbed or not.
It is the “Ranger Qualified” tabbed soldier that has never served in a Ranger capacity, that has the uphill climb in establishing status as a Ranger.
Looking a little further, I found this:
snip only....very informative page:
Training was a combat misson for volunteers. Volunteers were assigned, not accepted in the various Ranger Compannies, until, after a series of patrols, the volunteer had passed the acid test of a Ranger, Combat, and was accepted by his peers. Following the peer acceptance, the volunteer was allowed to wear the black beret and wear the Red, White and Black scroll shoulder sleeve insignia bearing his Ranger Company identity. All Long Range Patrol Companies and 75th Ranger Companies were authorized Parachute pay.
http://www.ranger.org/rangerHistoryVietnamWar.html
also, from further on down the page, I see that it was Co. F, 52nd Infantry (LRP) that I am remembering present when I was there, as “Co I (Ranger),75th Infantry/1st Infantry Division/1 Feb. 1969 - 7 Apr. 1970” is after my personal frame of reference (July 67-Jul 68). BTW, this page talks about “black berets”.......I don’t recall any black berets until shortly before I got out Jun 1975......I DID see a few worn at Camp Casey about then.
I was with F/51 (LRP) from Sept of ‘67 until the company was split up to make room for D/151, an Indiana National Guard LRP company, when I went to O/75, with the 3rd Bde of the 82nd, in February of ‘69. At that time, we went from being LERPs to being Rangers though nothing changed in our mission and we weren't officially authorized the black beret. I don’t know any LRRP/LRP/Rangers who wear the tab without having gone to Ranger School, but you never know these days.
I’m curious as to whether he served on a team but, at this point, I don’t see any real alternatives to Duncan Hunter and I support him.
Michael Frazier
I remember bush hats, while the rest of us (1/26th, me) were stuck with steel pots. We (1st Bde) made the move from PV to QL in late Nov 67....no wire around most of it to start/first few daze. Most Div Bn’s were forming new Delta co’s as I arrived.
This was rampant in the 20th SFG and, after awhile, became a bit of an inside joke as the post-combat types who tabbed were known as “paper-tabbers”.
I respect the fact that Hunter at least knows what a Ranger is and does.......
99% of Dems think a ranger is someone who chases Yogi the Bear around.....
RLTW
In my friends case he was tabbed while serving as a Special Forces trooper in Vietnam.
Well, he may not have his tab, but he earned the scoll didn’t he? So Pissant can simply replace the tab with the scroll and all will be well. Hunter remains the only candidate in either party to have led men in combat on the ground; and he did two tours of it with the two of the toughest units in the military.
I don’t think that Mr. Hunter was in Charlie Co. He may have been in November Rangers - 173rd.
The only Hunter that I knew was from Texas, if memory serves.
4th Platoon, C/75th 1970-71
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