75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne)
The 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) was the United States Army Ranger unit of the Vietnam War era.
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[edit] History
On 1 January 1969, as part of the U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), the U.S. Army Rangers were re-organized in Vietnam as the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger).[1] Fifteen Ranger companies were recruited from long range reconnaissance units in Europe since the late 1950s, and in Vietnam since 1966, as long range patrol companies. The genealogy of the new Rangers descended[2] directly from Merrill's Marauders, the 5307th Composite Unit, effective on 1 February 1969.
In Vietnam, the Rangers were converted from Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (or "Lurp") units recruited and trained in-country since 1966. The companies were designated C through I and K through P. There was no "J" Ranger Company; this is so there would be no confusion with the similar "I" (or India) designation on typed paperwork. Companies A and B were kept stateside as a strategic reserve in case they were needed overseas in Europe or the Americas.
Each independent company was attached to a Division or Separate Brigade. Rangers in Vietnam conducted long range reconnaissance behind enemy lines. They collected intelligence, planned and directed air strikes, acted as conventional operations force multipliers, assessed bombing damage of enemy territory, executed night and day ambushes, and sniper attacks.
Additionally, Rangers attempted recovering friendly prisoners of war, captured enemy soldiers for interrogation, tapped the wire communications of the North Vietnam Army and the Viet Cong on the Ho Chi Minh trail, and mined enemy trails and roads.
[edit] Lineage
Constituted 25 May 1944 in the Army of the United States as the 475 Infantry. Organized 10 August 1944 in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations from personnel of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) aka "Merrills Marauders" (Organized 3 October 1943 in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations) Inactivated 1 July 1945 in China.
- Redesignated 75th Infantry 21 june 1954. Allotted to the Regular Army 26 October 1954. Activated 20 November 1954 on Okinawa. Inactivated 21 March 1956 on Okinawa. Reorganized 1 January 1969 as the 75th Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.
Reorganized 1 July 1984 with Headquarters at Fort Benning, Georgia Consolidated 3 February 1986 with the former 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, 2d Infantry Battalion, and 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th Ranger Infantry Battalions (see ANNEXES 1-6) and consolidated unit redesignated as the 75th Ranger Regiment; concurrently withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
[edit] Organization
| Company | Unit attached | Company | Unit attached |
| Company A | V Corps, Germany | Company I | 1st Infantry Division |
| Company B | VII Corps, Germany | Company K | 4th Infantry Division |
| Company C | I Field Force, Vietnam | Company L | 101st Airborne Division |
| Company D | II Field Force, Vietnam | Company M | 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) |
| Company E | 9th Infantry Division | Company N | 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) |
| Company F | 25th Infantry Division | Company O | 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division |
| Company G | 23rd Infantry Division | Company P | 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) |
| Company H | 1st Cavalry Division |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ SuaSponte.com Vietnam Rangers page (access not allowed)
- ^ on 1 February '69, the Army designated the 75th Infantry Regiment successor of the 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders).
- ^ Lock, John D. and Moore, Harold G. To Fight With Intrepidity: The Complete History of the U.S. Army Rangers 1622 to Present Fenestra Books, 2001 ISBN 1-58736-064-0 pp. 515-516
- [1] Lineage
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