DESCENDANTS OF WWII RANGERS, INC

Note: Ranger History appears in red.

1939

Germany annexes Czechoslovakia. Italy annexes Albania. Italy and Germany agree an alliance.

• August 23

  Germany and USSR sign non-aggression pact.

• August 25

  Britain, France and Poland agree an alliance.

• September 1

  Germany invades Poland.

• September 3

  Britain and France declare war on Germany.
  World War II started on September 3, 1939, two days after Adolf Hitler had sent troops to invade Poland. Both Britain and France protested and when Hitler refused to withdraw, the two declared war on Germany. The war was fought between the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (Britain and the countries of the Commonwealth, France, the United States and the Soviet Union).

• September 17

  USSR invades Poland.

• November 30

  Soviet Union invades Finland.

• December

  Battle of the River Plate, South America, is first real battle of the war.

1940

• March 10

  USSR takes Finland at end of Soviet-Finnish war and Finland cedes territory. Germany submarines attack British merchant ships.

• April 9

  Germany invades and occupies Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

• May 2

  Allies withdraw from central Norway

• May 10

  Germany invades Holland, Belgium and Luxemborg; Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain

• May 12

  Germany invades France

• May 14

  Dutch army surrenders to Germany

• May 20

  German army reaches English Channel

• May 26 - June 4

  Evacuation of British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk

• May 28

  Belgium surrenders to Germany

• June 9

  Norway signs armistice with Germany

• June 10

  Italy declares war on Britain and France

• June 11

  Italy invades France

• June 14

  Fall of Paris

• June 15

  Soviet Union begins occupation of Lithuania. Latvia, and Estonia

• June 22

  France signs armistice with Axis powers

• July 2

  British Navy bombards French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria

• July 10

  Battle of Britain opens with first major dogfight over English Channel

• July 25

  U.S. places embargo on strategic material to Japan

• August 5

  Italy invades British Somalia

• September 13

  Italy invades Egypt

• September 15

  London heavily blitzed during climax of Battle of Britain

• September 22

  Vichy France agrees to Japanese air bases and troops to Indonesia

• September 27

  Japan joins Axis alliance

• October 7

  German troops enter Rumania

• October 28

  Italy invades Greece

• November

  Italy tries to invade Greece. Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia join Axis powers.

• November 5

  Roosevelt reelected

• November 11

  British smash Italian fleet at Taranto

• November 14

  German blitz of Coventry

• November 20

  Hungary joins Axis Alliance; Romania follows two days later

• December 9

  British troops begin to drive the Italians out of Egypt

1941

• January 19

  British invade Eritrea

• February 7

  Italians decisively defeated at Beda Fomm in Libya. Allies capture 113,000 Italian soldiers in North Africa. German forces arrive to replace them.

• February 8

  Germany and Bulgaria sign military pact

• March 11

  U.S. Lend Lease Bill becomes law; U.S. starts supplying war materials to Britain and allies

• March 16

  British launch counteroffensive against Italian forces in Somaliland, and enter Ethiopia

• March 24

  Rommel commences first offensive in Libya

• March 25

  Yugoslavia joins Axis alliance

• March 26

  Yugoslav government overthrown by pro-Allied regime

• March 28

  British inflict further losses on Italian fleet off Cape Matapan

• April

  Yugoslavia and Greece fall to Germany

• May

  German invasion of USSR beginsGerman invasion of USSR begins

• December 7

  Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. Four battleships were destroyed and 3,300 people killed. The US declares war on Japan. Italy and Germany declare war on the US.
  US enters World War II, following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

• December

  Japan invades Malaya and Hong Kong.

1942

• February

  Singapore falls to the Japanese; 90,000 British and Commonwealth troops are taken prisoner.

• March

  Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) fall to the Japanese.

• May

  Japan had taken control of all of Southeast Asia including Burma, Singapore, the Philippines, and New Guinea, and threatened the north coast of Australia.

• June 19

  1st Ranger Battalion activated at Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

• August

  US victory at the battle of Guadalcanal finally ends Japanese expansion. In the Soviet Union the battle of Stalingrad begins.

• August 19

  Dieppe Raid, France, 50 Rangers participated in this, their first combat experience. August 19, 1942. Rangers Lt. Joseph H. Randall and 2nd Lt Edward V. Loustalot KIA at Dieppe, first US soldiers killed in the European Theater of WW II.

• September 3

  Entire 1st Ranger Battalion was moved to Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. Met Father Basil there, who was with the British Commandos. Rangers later moved on to Glasglow.

• October

  In North Africa, Allies defeat Axis forces at the battle of El Alamein, Egypt. Darby requests Father Basil go into Africa with the Rangers, permission granted by UK.

• November 8

  Operation Torch. 1st Ranger Battalion executes first operation as an independent unit in the US Army when they secure the town of Arzew and open the way for troops waiting offshore. The battalion was divided to accomplish the taking of the port of Arzew and the securing of gun batteries outside of town. Rangers scaled the rocky cliffs to secure the batteries while others entered the port in LCA landing crafts. This action initiated the securing of ports and land masses in North Africa from which the Allies would later launch attacks on Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany.

• December

  Rangers held and remained down the beach of the Mediteranean from Arzew. Here they trained and anticipated their next mission.

1943

• January 1943

  1st Rangers prepared for a night landing on an island off Sicily. Due to storms, the mission was aborted as the amphibious transports would have been unable to land on the beaches of the island.

• February

  1st Rangers raid Sened Station and initiate the Tunisian Campaign. By February 19, they had reached Kasserine Pass.

  Ranger lost this day: Elmer W. Garrison 1 Bn, 12 Feb 43

• March

  1st Rangers in North Africa, Gafsa and El Guettar

• April

  1 Apr 43, 2nd Ranger Battalion activated

  Ranger lost on this day - Jennings B. Coomer 1 Bn, 12 Apr 43

• May

  Axis troops in North Africa surrender.1st Rangers have proven themselves in the successes in North Africa in Arzew, Sened, and Djebel el Ank, with major actions at St. Cloud, Kasserine, and El Guettar. Their successes precipitated the activation of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 25 May 1943.

• June

  And also the activation of the 4th Ranger Battalion, 8 June 1943. Rangers of the newly formed 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions in training under the 1st Bn at Nemours, North Africa.

  Ranger lost on this day - James J. Reid 1Bn, 29 Jun 43

• July

  Allied troops invade Sicily. Mussolini’s government is overthrown and Italy declares war on Germany.

  Rangers from the 1st, 3rd and 4th Battalions invade Sicily. Around midnight they began loading into assault boats which circled the mother ships until the time to form up. Sometime around 2:30-3:00 am, the boats formed into assault waves and headed into the beach. Not all of them made it.
  The 1st and 4th Bns attacked at Gela and fought for their lives for two days against odds which would have overwhelmed an ordinary infantry unit. Ranger casualties were heavy, but the mission was accomplished.
  The 3rd Bn attacked at Licata, where they encountered heavy fighting before the battle in Sicily was finally over. This was the first combat for the 3rd and 4th Bns, though much of their cadre were battle hardened veterans from the Original 1st Bn.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Bennett, Edward 4Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Brady, Sherald P. 4Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Johnson, Jack W. 1Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Mabe, William R. Jr. 1Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Marty, Joeph M. 4Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Mathias, Donald W. 1Bn, 10 Jul 43
  McCarthy, John P. 4Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Swavely, William E.1Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Webster, James S. 1Bn, 10 Jul 43
  Whyman, Frederick C. 1Bn, 10 Jul 43

  21 July 43, 5th Ranger Battalion activated

• August 13

  Ranger lost on this day - Burgess, Kenneth D. 4Bn, 13 Aug 43

• September

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Lumnah, Oscar P. 4Bn, 12 Sep 43
  Polich, Joseph 4Bn, 12 Sep 43
  Bryant, Robert L. 4Bn, 15 Sep 43
  Surratt, Robert C. 1Bn, 15 Sep 43
  Greene, Leonard L. 4Bn, 16 Sep 43
  Grimes, Edward J. 3Bn, 16 Sep 43
  Sullivan, Thomas S. 3Bn, 16 Sep 43
  Johnson, John J. 1Bn, 18 Sep 43
  Rowley, Chester L. 1Bn, 18 Sep 43
  Bledsoe, Robert A. 4Bn, 21 Sep 43
  Morgan, Robert F. 3Bn, 25 Sep 43
  Twilley, Jack 4Bn, 26 Sep 43
  Carl R. Bunde 1Bn, 30 Sep 43

• October

  Ranger lost on this day - Knox, John K. 3Bn, 23 Oct 43

• November

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Allum, Albert M. 4Bn, 4 Nov 43
  Henselman, Chester H. 4Bn, 4 Nov 43
  Strange, Len A. 4Bn, 4 Nov 43
  Wallis, Vernon W. 4Bn, 4 Nov 43
  Bob L. Lowell 1Bn, 10 Nov 43
  Ford, Richard M. 3Bn, 11 Nov 43
  Card, Earl E. 4Bn, 12 Nov 43
  Kidder, Wallace E. 1Bn, 12 Nov 43
  Richard, Jude J. 4Bn, 12 Nov 43
  Trowbridge, Warfield E. 4Bn, 13 Nov 43
  Hofmeister, William 4Bn, 16 Nov 43
  Junior F. Miller 4 Bn, 18 Nov 43
  Bednarski, Isadore 1Bn, 21 Nov 43
  Tryon, William S. 1Bn, 22 Nov 43
  Willette, Mathew R. 1Bn, 22 Nov 43
  Canfield, William H.4Bn, 25 Nov 43
  McMahon, John J. Jr.1Bn, 25 Nov 43
  Clarke, William E. 1Bn, 27 Nov 43
  Davies. Robert C. 3Bn, 30 Nov 43
  Deckrow, Orville 3Bn, 30 Nov 43
  Donohue, Raymond P.1Bn, 30 Nov 43
  Foreshaw, Dwight 3Bn, 30 Nov 43
  Lemay, Normand R. 3Bn, 30 Nov 43
  Lonnes, Edward W. 1Bn, 30 Nov 43
  Williams, Ernest M. 3Bn, 30 Nov 43

• December

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Brandon, James T. 3Bn, 6 Dec 43
  Johnson, Russell W. 3Bn, 9 Dec 43
  Parish, Earl D. 3Bn, 9 Dec 43
  McTeigue, Patrick G. 3Bn, 11 Dec 43
  Bohannon, Roy 3Bn, 12 Dec 43
  Brock, Vernon L. 1Bn, 12 Dec 43

1944

• January

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Albert H. Phillips 3Bn, 26 Jan 44
  Hood, Carl R. 4Bn, 22Jan 44
  Bates, Thomas B. 4Bn, 22 Jan 44
  Bordash, Andrew A. 4Bn, 24 Jan 44
  Witmer, Eutene J.4Bn, 24 Jan 44
  Allen, Troy 1Bn, 26 Jan 44
  Sausen, William L. 3Bn, 28 Jan 44
  Bell, Thomas F. 4Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Brown, William S. 4Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Burke, John J. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Colbert, Paul E. 1Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Kunkle, Ronald L. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Lafler, Julius F. 1Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Lingenfelter, Irvin R. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Long, George W. 4Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Murphy, Robert F. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Nunnaly, George O. 4Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Santarelli, George A. 1Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Skarberg, Charles F. 1Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Taylor, William E. 4Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Zielinski, Herman A. 4Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Lamandre, Dominick 4Bn, 31 Jan 44
  Cummins, Clifford P. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  De Franco, Philip 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Dusseau, Robert A. 1Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Engle, Walter L. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Gangnath, Phillip H. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44
  Hendrickson, Robert S. 3Bn, 30 Jan 44

• February

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Fusiara, John F. 1Bn, 01 Feb 44
  Puskar, Edward 4Bn, 21 Feb 44
  LoPresto, Vitor R. 4Bn, 25 Feb 44

• March

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Wayrynen, Wayne M. 4Bn, 03 Mar 44
  Dahlke, John J. 4Bn, 07 Mar 44
  McNeale, Kenneth A. 4Bn, 11 Mar 44
  Eger, William 1Bn, 27 Mar 44

• 6 June

  Allied forces land in Normandy, France, to start invasion of Europe. This invasion was know as Operation Overlord.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Elmo Banning 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Volney E. Beekler 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  John Biddle 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Howard Bowens 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Ranger Robert M. Brice 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Harold Clendenin 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  John Clifton 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Raymond Cole 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Ranger Robert L. Dailey 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  John Dolinsky 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  James Donahue 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  William J. Fox 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Dominick Gallo 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Howard Gardner 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Henry S. Golas 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  David Goudey 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  John Gourley 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  John Henwood 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  James A Kane 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Leslie Irvin 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Charles E. Ketterling 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  James Machan 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  William McWhirter 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  William Myers 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Fred Plumee 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Joseph Rafferty 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Robert Raymond 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  William F. Reilly 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Rolland Revels 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Charles Rich 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Frederick D. Smith 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Edward L. Sowa 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Robert Stein 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Stephen Szerecz 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Chester Tarlano 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Joseph Trainor 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Michael Vetovich 2 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Nickolas Wassil 5 Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Raymond Wilhelm 5Bn, 06 Jun 44
  Ranger E.G. Colvard Jr. 2Bn, 07 June 44
  Lawrence M. Johnson 2 Bn, 07 Jun 44
  Matthew Morse 5 Bn, 07 Jun 44
  Robert Steinen 5 Bn, 08 Jun 44

• July

  An unsuccessful attempt to kill Hitler is made.

  Ranger lost on this day - Robert Page 2 Bn, 02 Jul 44

• August

  15 Aug 44, 1st Ranger Battalion inactivated.
  15 Aug 44, 3rd Ranger Battalion inactivated.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Alfred Haluska 2 Bn, 01 Aug 44
  Constantine Anagnos 2 Bn, 21 Aug 44
  Seymour Goldman 2 Bn, 21 Aug 44
  Robert Meltzer 2 Bn, 21 Aug 44
  Edward MacKinnon 2 Bn, 26 Aug 44
  Joseph Flanagan 2 Bn, 31 Aug 44
  Joseph Trout 2 Bn, 31 Aug 44

• September

  26 Sept 44, 6th Ranger Battalion activated.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Lewis Henderson 5 Bn, 01 Sep 44
  James Carawan 5 Bn, 02 Sep 44
  Ezra Kauffman 5 Bn, 02 Sep 44
  Harvie Powell 5 Bn, 02 Sep 44
  David Usyk 5 Bn, 02 Sep 44
  Raymond Hubert 2 Bn, 02 Sep 44
  Edison Crull 2 Bn, 03 Sep 44
  Walter Lukovsky 2 Bn, 03 Sep 44
  Lawrence Madore Bn, 04 Sep 44
  Harold Snook 5 Bn, 04 Sep 44
  Albin Zima 5 Bn, 04 Sep 44
  Robert McCullagh 2 Bn, 06 Sep 44
  Clark Baker 5 Bn, 07 Sep 44
  Joe Messuri 5 Bn, 07 Sep 44
  Nelson Robin 2 Bn, 07 Sep 44
  Richard Gilmore 5 Bn, 09 Sep 44
  Rex Loe 5 Bn, 11 Sep 44
  John Manifold 5 Bn, 14 Sep 44

• October

  Allies invade Philippines.
  4th Ranger Battalion inactivated

  Ranger lost on this day - Zufall, Darwin C. 6/D, 17 Oct 44

• November

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Leroy Rogers 2D, 15 Nov 44
  Robert Fewell 2D, 17 Nov 44
  Julius Remmers Jr. 2A, 24 Nov 44
  Keith Bragg 2B, 27 Nov 44

• December

  Start of battle of the Bulge, last German offensive.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Hoesli Labhart 5 Bn, 02 Dec 44
  Edward Neuman 5 Bn, 02 Dec 44
  Frank Lewis 2D, 02 Dec 44
  Thomas Filmer 5 Bn, 03 Dec 44
  Willie Moody 5 Bn, 03 Dec 44
  Paul Pelkey 5 Bn, 03 Dec 44
  Leo Samborowski 5 Bn, 03 Dec 44
  Gerard Seidel 5 Bn, 03 Dec 44
  Nick Sychak 5 Bn, 03 Dec 44
  Leroy G. Adams 2 Bn, 07 Dec 44
  Halvor Black 2Hq, 07 Dec 44
  Leo Ouellette 2Hq, 07 Dec 44
  Lawrence Holloway 2C, 08 Dec 44
  Daniel Paskill 5 Bn, 09 Dec 44
  Raymond Ferguson 2A, 21 Dec 44

1945

• January

  6th Bn conducts Raid on Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp and with the help of Alamo Scouts and Filipino Guerillas successfully executed the greatest rescue mission in American history. This event was later made into the movie, The Great Raid. The following Rangers gave their lives in this mission that saved the lives of 500 survivors of the Bataan Death March held captive at Cabanatuan.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Bailey, Leon 6/A, 10 Jan 45
  Sweezy, Roy F. 6/C, 30 Jan 45
  Fischer, James C. 6/Hq/B, 31 Jan 45

• February

  At the Yalta Conference, Allies agree to divide Germany into four zones after the war.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Hubert Racette 5 Bn, 19 Feb 45
  Lawrence Briscoe 5 Bn, 19 Feb 45
  John Gibbons 5 Bn, 19 Feb 45
  Stanley Kijanka 5 Bn, 19 Feb 45
  J. Lloyd Posey 5 Bn, 19 Feb 45
  John Tomaso 5 Bn, 19 Feb 45
  Edward Mapes 5 Bn, 23 Feb 45
  Francis Dufour 5 Bn, 23 Feb 45
  Earl Moynihan 5 Bn, 23 Feb 45
  John R. Gilbert 5 Bn, 24 Feb 45
  Jesse M. Niblack 3Bn, 25 Feb 45
  Elwood Knight 5 Bn, 25 Feb 45
  Jesse M. Niblack, 25 Feb 45
  William Davis 5 Bn, 26 Feb 45
  Charles Waterman 1B, 27 Feb 45
  Ted Walters 5 Bn, 27 Feb 45
  Alban Switay 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45
  Carl Ward 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45
  Charles Willerton Jr. 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45
  Henry Dobeck 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45
  Russel Gaughey 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45
  Adolph Ravitz 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45
  Wallace Wheeler 5 Bn, 28 Feb 45

• March

  US captures Iwo Jima.

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Richard Johnson 5 Bn, 01 Mar 45
  Ernest Stoneburg 5 Bn, 01 Mar 45
  Joseph Vickers 5 Bn, 01 Mar 45
  Arthur Pitts 5 Bn, 01 Mar 45
  Peter Bubanovich 2C, 02 Mar 45
  Irvin Germain 5 Bn, 03 Mar 45
  Joseph Miela 5 Bn, 04 Mar 45

• April

  Adolf Hitler takes his life

  Rangers lost on this day -
  Leroy A. Kraft 1Bn, 13 Apr 45
  John W. Rose 3Bn, 13 Apr 45

• May

  Soviet troops enter Berlin. Germany surrenders.

  Ranger lost on this day -
  Virgil H. Wood 1Bn, 18 May 45

• June

  US forces capture Okinawa.

  Ranger lost on this day -
  Bernard Rogers 5 Bn, 06 Jun 45

• July

  Division of Germany agreed at Potsdam Conference.

• August

  Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrenders. World War II ends with Japanese surrender.

• October

  United Nations formed.
  22 Oct 45, 5th Ranger Battalion inactivated
  23 Oct 45, 2nd Ranger Battalion inactivated

• December

  30 Dec 45, 6th Ranger Battalion inactivated