Company A, (RANGER) 75th Infantry (LRRP)
The Company D Long Rang Patrol (Airborne), 17th Infantry. Formally Fifth Corps ( V ) Corps (ABN) LRRP Co. (Provisional), Which was activated at 7th Army in Germany on 15 July 1961, and eventually became Co. A, (Airborne Ranger), 75th Infantry.
The V Corps ( ABN ) LRRP Co. was the first of two LRRP companies Authorized at Army level and was activated at 7th Army in Germany on the 15th of July, 1961, and was formed at Wildflecken. Major Reese Jones was the first Commanding Officer, and Gilberto M. Martinez Was the First Sergeant.
The Company was initially designated the 3779 th Recon Patrol Company, ( Provisional ) and came under Headquarters, 14th Armored Cavalry at Fulda, Germany ( APO 26 US Forces ) for administration and court martial jurisdiction.
In January 1963, the Company moved to Edwards Kaserne outside of Frankfurt with Captain William Guinn assuming command from Major Edward Porter. On the 9th of May, 1963, the company moved to Gibbs Kaserne in Frankfurt and became part of the V Corps Special Troops ( Provisional ) working directly for V corps G-2.
Under Captain Guinn's leadership the V Corps LRRP's developed and perfected aspects of Long Range Patrol operations that are still in use today. Many of these ideals were incorporated into the first Long Range Reconnaissance Company Field Manual ( FM31-16 ).
On 15th of May, 1965 the Company was deactivated and re-designated as Company D, Long Range Patrol ( ABN ) 17th Infantry, maintaining the same mission and remaining at Gibbs Kaserne in Frankfurt, Germany. The V Corps being across the Hessian and Bavarian front north of the Main River faced four of the six most likely Soviet penetration corridors into Germany. The Company missions encompassed extensive practiced combat patrolling mission in the Bad Heisfeld-Giessen, Fulda-Hanau, Bad Kissingen -- Wurzburg and Coburg - Bamburg corridors to include rehearsed deep penitration missions against Thuringian targets that were typified by Soviet Weimer - Nobra air installation and Army facilities around Ohrdruf and Jena. The Company would be used also for special missions of infiltration that included team placement of T-4 Atomic Demolition Munitions and locating enemy battlefield targets for Army tactical nuclear delivery systems.
In 1968, the Army began a massive pullout from Europe, code named " OPERATION REFORGER ". ( Redeployment of Forces Germany ) and Company D ( LRRP ), 17th Infantry relocated to Fort Benning Georgia, with Captain Harry W. Nieubar as the Company commander.
On the 1st of February 1969, Company D ( LRP ) 17th Infantry became Co. A, ( Airborne Ranger ) 75th Infantry. Activated at Fort Benning, Georgia under Captain Thomas P. Meyer. The Company kept its Reforger mission in case of war in Europe. This was one reason the Company never deployed to Vietnam. While at Fort Benning Georgia, Company A performed such duties as supporting the Ranger patrolling committee. The 197th Infantry Brigade Col. William Latham put the Company incharge of the " Drug Rehabilitation Program " for soldiers with drug problems and put them through rehabilitation cycles and helped recondition them with training and hard labor chores.
On the 3rd of February, 1970, Company A ( Ranger ) 75th Infantry arrived at Fort Hood Texas from Fort Benning, Georgia under the Command of Captain Johnathan Henkel and was assigned to the 1st Armored Division. Until June of 1972, the primary mission was to support MASSTAR ( Mobile Army Sensor Systems Test, Evaluation, and Review ). This work was difficult and unglorious and involved the constant testing of surveillance, target acquistion, seismic intrusion detector and night observation equipment which paved the way and benefitted the Army in it's performance in the Gulf War twenty years later. The mission changed again in July 1972, to provide Long Range Reconnaissance capibility for the First Cavalry Division, and stay in a high state of training for the origional missions of Company D, Long Range Patrol ( ABN ) 17th Infantry and REFORGER.
On the 8th of January, 1973, Captain Raymond D. Nolan assumed command of Company A ( Ranger ) 75th Infantry. Over 80 percent of the Company was Vietnam Veterans, The First Sergeant was Walter Vick, with First Sergeant Bonifacio Romo taking that asingnment later, and then by First Sergeant Gary Carpenter, who became the First Regimental Sergeant Major.
During October 1974, the 1st Ranger Battalion ( Ranger ) of the 75th Infantry was activated at Fort Stewart Georgia, using the assets of inactivated Ranger Co. A, but was assigned the heritage of the Vietnam Field Force Rangers of Company C. First Sergeant Bonifacio M. Romo was the First Sergeant of Co. A, 1st Ranger Battalion.
If you have additional info, or to help up date this page to keep it current, please contact:
Tom Brizendine
Tommy Biscardi's 3/75th Ranger Battalion site
http://sites.netscape.net/tommylightbringer/rangersbattboys
CSM Gil Berg (AKA Gen Greb)
75th Regimental Rangers Association web site
Airborne Ranger web site and listserver
Bone's F Company, RVN Rangers
http://homes.acmecity.com/superman/smallville/156
Ranger Poysky's 1st Bn 75th Rangers web site
http://www.homestead.com/airborne_ranger175index.html
United States Army Ranger Association