Memorial Affairs

Ranger Field

In 1954 Ranger Emmett Fike wanted to memorilize his fallen Ranger comrades and started to collect information about these Rangers. In 1984 Emmett helped organize the Ranger Infantry Companies Association (Airborne) and in march of 1985 he was appointed RICA's Memorial Affairs Officer. In this position he search for all Rangers who were KIA, MIA or POW during the Korean War.

The Association (RICA) set as a primary objective to honor our deceased Rangers. Of the nearly 3,000 individuals who began the training to become Airborne Rangers in 1950 and 1951. 146 lost their lives in service to theeir country. Nine of these died in training. The remainder were killed in action, died of wounds recieved in combat or remain amoung the missing from the Korean War.

Ranger Fike made many trips to Fort Benning requesting permission to place a monument to honor these deceased Rangers. Ranger Gerald Shaffer also made several to Fort Benning to assist Ranger Fike in this effort. Finally RICA was given approval and action was taken immediately to install a monumnet to honor the deceased Rangers of the Korean Wasr. Ranger Glenn Dahl raised money for the monument by writing to RICA Rangers and later helped design the monument. The monument is made from black granite and came from Minnesota. The names of the deceased Rangers are inscribed on a bronze plaque attached to the top of the monument. The monument was place across the street leading to Infantry Hall in an area now known as Ranger Field. This monument was dedicated in 1989.

The names of the RICA casualties are inscribed on a bronze tablet attached to the top of the monument.

The picture in the lower right is the back side of the monument. The Ranger Companes are arranged in the circle to show their relactionship to each other. The companies were never united under a Ranger Airborne command but shared a Ranger Battle Flag and training by the Ranger Training Command. Symbols representing the flag and RTC are inside the circle. Inscribed by each company is the name of the army or division to which the company was attached. Also inscribed on the back is the military action participated in by the Rangers.

The Ranger Memorial at Fort Benning, GA was inspired when RICA gained approval to place a monument to the Ranger casualties of the Korean War across the street leading to Infantry Hall. The monument became the model for the other Ranger monuments that are now included in the Ranger Memorial. In 1994 the Ranger Memorial Monument was completed commenorating all Rangers.