# Old School SOF: The First LRRP Company



## J.S. (Nov 14, 2015)

I am lucky enough to have one of the plankowners of Army long-range reconnaissance as my grandfather. SPC John Russell, Light Weapons Infantryman, was assigned in 1958 to Company A of the 51st ARB in Germany. His commander, then-Captain Phillip Grimm, volunteered his unit to be converted into the Army's first long-range reconnaissance company. 

Grimm had fought as a Ranger in Korea and knew exactly what he needed to do to create a successful special operations force. The infantrymen of Company A underwent an intense and exhausting training regimen, not unlike the RASP program of today's Rangers. The training involved tutelage under the Green Berets of the nearby 10th SFG, and included helicopter insertion, mountain climbing, cross-country skiing, and other skills necessary for a top-notch recon unit. 

Training culminated in a 75-mile, two-day patrol, where the hopeful recon men were hunted by German police with bloodhounds. The newly-christened "lurps" were quickly put to work patrolling the Czech, Polish, and East German borders. The coveted black beret, later a hallmark of the 75th Ranger Regiment, was awarded to a recon man after his first successful 72-hour patrol. 

A typical patrol was just over three days beginning with a nighttime insertion with H-34 "Choctaw" helicopters, later the "Kingbee" of Vietnam fame. On these patrols, the LRRPs operated in six-man teams. The typical team was as follows:
- Team Leader
- Assistant Team Leader
-  Radio Telephone Operator
- Assistant RTO
- Point Man
- Rear Guard

The men travelled light during these patrols. Every single piece of equipment had a purpose. For example, Air Force survival rations were favored over the standard Army rations for their light weight and high calorie count. Aerial resupply was undertaken by the U-6 "Beaver" light plane by means of crates strapped to the wings. Homemade and altered camouflage uniforms were common on these patrols, as was greasepaint on the recon men's faces. In terms of weapons, the M3 submachine gun was a favorite due to its compact size and stopping power. Typically, a 1911 pistol and combat knife were the only weapons carried on a patrol, however occasionally the lurps sported M1903A4 sniper rifles with Unertl scopes, M1 Garand rifles, and even the new M14 rifle made an appearance.

After just a year of operations, the VII Corps LRRP Company (Provisional) was disestablished in 1960. Its alumni include the aforementioned CPT Phillip Grimm, later a Special Forces Colonel in Vietnam, and 1SG John Schmidt, later the SGM of the 5th SFG in Vietnam and one of the few three-time CIB holders. The men of the company, though they go unknown in history, had a lasting impact on Army reconnaissance and SOF procedure for years to come.


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## J.S. (Nov 14, 2015)

VII Corps LRRPs prepare for an exercise (grandfather's collection)


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## J.S. (Nov 14, 2015)

A young SPC Russell on patrol (grandfather's collection)


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## J.S. (Nov 14, 2015)

SPC Russell before an exercise at Ft. Hood, during AIT


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## J.S. (Nov 14, 2015)

SPC Russell qualifying with the M2 HMG, AIT


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## J.S. (Nov 14, 2015)

SPC Russell in full patrol gear


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