To go into the background of Free's dead on input :
http://www.shadowspear.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14351
The only thing I would add to this discussion is this!
All the Ranger BN's created in WW2 were
not airborne units. They fought as leg Infantry. They were all deactivated at the end of WW2.
One Non-Airborne Ranger Company was formed in 1950 in Korea, in the early stage of the Korean War. It was the 8th Army Ranger Company. Most of it's volunteer soldiers were former Paratroopers and WW2 Rangers. It was deactivated , when the Airborne Ranger Companies arrived in Korea.
The
First Airborne Rangers were created in 1950 as Airborne Ranger Infantry Companies at Ft. Benning, GA (Harmony Church area.)
There were
15 numbered Companies and
2 lettered Companies created and all the numbered Companies were assigned to both regular Army and National Guard Infantry Divisions.
Eight Airborne Ranger Companies fought with distinction in Korea. Two of the Companies made a combat jump, (2nd & 4th Ranger Companies.) with the 187th RCT in Korea. One of the Companies (2nd Ranger) was an all African American unit. (The Army was still segregated in those days. It was also one of the Companies that made the combat jump.)
All of the Airborne Ranger Infantry Companies were deactivated before the Korean War ended. Most in the late summer of 1951.
Links for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War_Ranger_Companies
RICA:
http://www.ricarangers.org/rosters/index.htm
;)
