As Presidents Biden and Moon talk about the battle on Hill 205, my service in Vietnam and, after my retirement from active duty, serving as the Honor… - Ralph Puckett

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As Presidents Biden and Moon talk about the battle on Hill 205, my service in Vietnam and, after my retirement from active duty, serving as the Honorary Colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment, menoring new generations of Rangers and soldiers, my mind keeps going back to those seventy-five Rangers I selected, trained, and served with in Korea.
I'm proud, very proud, of these Rangers. They were trained to be physically, mentally, and morally tough. They were highly skilled as a small combat unit and they made me believe that ours was the best company in the Army, a fact clearly demonstrated by them against overwhelming odds, under the most adverse conditions, deep within enemy territory that cold night on Hill 205.

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About Ralph Puckett

Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr. (December 8, 1926-April 8, 2024) was a retired United States Army officer, best known for his decades-long service with and to the 75th Ranger Regiment. He led the Eighth Army Ranger Company during the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on November 25, 1950, when his company of 51 Rangers was attacked by several hundred Chinese soldiers at the battle for Hill 205. He later served in the Vietnam War and retired from the army in 1971 as a colonel. After being appointed on July 19, 1996, he served as the Honorary Colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment for 28 years. In April 2021, Puckett's Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on November 25, 1950, was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Until his death in 2024, he was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War, since the death of Hiroshi Miyamura on November 29, 2022.

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Ralph Puckett, Jr.

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Additional quotes by Ralph Puckett

Integrity must be the core value in everything a Soldier does. Integrity is the unflinching adherence to high standards of duty and honor no matter what the physical risk, the emotional stress, or the ridicule of others. Integrity requires you to do your best, to do your duty. Remember: Winston Churchill once said that duty is the noblest word in the English language.

I'm awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for my actions in Korea. In 1967, I'm awarded a second, along with two Silver Stars, as a battalion commander in the Vietnam Conflict. Those awards, in addition to five Purple Hearts, and two Bronze Stars- and my later inauguration into the Ranger Hall of Fame- all the credit goes to my sergeants and my men. I know it was tough for them, but I was right there with them, and I tried to praise each man every chance I got.
That's my leadership style. Just be there. No great plans of maneuver or anything like that. I've never been anything much more than another rifleman.

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My Rangers deserve this award. They did the training. They did the fighting. They did the dying. Two of them carried me off the battlefield. Those men are the ones who should get the credit. They're the ones who earned this Medal of Honor.
RLTW. Rangers Lead the Way.

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