Colonel Ralph Puckett (#120)

On Friday night, Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post (article here) and Chuck Williams of WRBL 3 (article here) broke the news that Colonel Ralph Puckett, US Army, Retired is going to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea in 1950.

Like many of us in the Army, the Fort Benning Community, and the Ranger Community know Ralph as a friend, mentor, leader, and amazing American hero. The award is long overdue. When I commanded the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Colonel Puckett attended all the Ranger School physical fitness tests, mentored the students, and gave positive encouragement to the Ranger Instructors. He also mentored me. If you’d like to learn more about the amazing Colonel Ralph Puckett you can read his Medal of Honor citation, watch the video, or read the short story of his actions in Korea below.

Rangers Lead the Way!

Medal of Honor Citation:

President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Ralph Puckett, Jr., United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 8th Ranger Company, 8213th Army Unit, 8th U.S. Army. First Lieutenant Puckett distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Unsan, Korea, on 25 and 26 November 1950. With complete disregard for his personal safety, First Lieutenant Puckett led his company across eight hundred yards of open terrain under heavy enemy small-arms fire and captured the company's objective. During this operation he deliberately exposed himself to enemy machine-gun fire to enable his men to spot locations of the machine guns. After capturing the objective, he directed preparation of defensive positions against an expected enemy counterattack. At 2200 hours on 25 November 1950, while directing the defense of his position against a heavy counterattack, he was wounded in the fight shoulder. Refusing evacuation, he continued to direct his company through four more counterattacks by a numerically superior force who advanced to within grenade range before being driven back During these attacks, he left the safety of his foxhole in order to observe movements of the enemy and to direct artillery fire. In so doing, he repeatedly exposed himself to heavy small-arms and mortar fire. In the sixth counterattack, at 0300 hours on 26 November 1950, he was wounded again, so seriously that he was unable to move. Detecting that his company was about to be overrun and forced to withdraw, he ordered his men to leave him behind so as not to endanger their withdrawal. Despite his protests, he was dragged from the hill to a position of safety. First Lieutenant Puckett's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

The Video — Visit the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia to see the Ralph Puckett exhibit. In the meantime, watch the video below:

The Backstory

Ralph Puckett was born in Tifton, Georgia in 1926. Growing up in “Plant City,” Ralph was an Eagle Scout and good student. At the United States Military Academy at West Point, he was captain of the boxing team, editor of the yearbook, and an above average student. Upon graduation in 1949, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry. His experiences as a Ranger Company commander in Korea shaped a lifetime of building leaders in the Army, in non-profits, and in corporate America.

In the fall of 1950, during the first year of the Korean War, the United States Army decided to establish Ranger Companies, rather than Ranger Battalions as had been done in World War II. The Ranger Companies, consisting of 3 officers and 74 enlisted soldiers, would be attached to Divisions and Corps to provide an organic special operations capability to patrol, raid, scout, and destroy Communist Chinese and the North Korean forces. Eighteen Ranger Companies were established in 1950 and 1951, with eight seeing combat. In late 1951 the US Army decided to disband the Ranger Companies and establish the US Army Ranger School as an effort to increase the proficiency of all infantry units, rather than have a few elite infantry units.  

Upon arriving in Japan in August 1950, Puckett was selected to establish and command the 8th Ranger Company. Together with Platoon Leaders Barney Cummings and Charles Bunn, they selected the enlisted soldiers from a group of volunteers, established a demanding physical and tactical training plan, and led six and a half days of training each week from the front. Lieutenant Puckett created four training objectives for the unit: 

• Each Ranger would be in outstanding physical condition. Every Ranger would be a Tiger

• Each Ranger would be highly skilled in the tactics and techniques of the individual soldier

• Each squad, platoon, and the company as a whole would function as an efficient fighting machine

• Each Ranger would exude confidence.

He felt if he achieved the first three, he felt that the fourth would take care of itself.

After six weeks of intense training, 66 Rangers moved to Taejon, South Korea to link up with the 25th Infantry Division. As the United Nations troops pushed northward in October and November, so did the 8th Ranger Company. During the advance they helped to clear the rear area of North Korean guerillas and did raids and patrols in front of the lines.

On November 25, 1950 the 8th Ranger Company’s 51 Rangers and 9 Korean enlisted men were ordered to attack across 800 yards of rice paddies and seize Hill 205. With the help of a platoon of tanks they seized the hill by mid-afternoon, located almost a mile forward of friendly lines. Unfortunately, they suffered 9 casualties in the process. On top of the hill they discovered recently abandoned fighting positions and evidence of Chinese forces all around them. The Rangers quickly established a defensive perimeter and tried to dig into the frozen ground. With his radio malfunctioning, Lieutenant Puckett had to run back to his headquarters, crossing the deadly rice paddies again, to ensure he would receive artillery support.

In the military, the high ground -- typically elevated terrain that dominates the rest of the landscape -- is the most advantageous place to be on a battlefield. For Lieutenant Ralph Puckett and the men of the 8th Ranger Company, Hill 205 was high ground. In the corporate setting, high ground is the one thing that gives your business or organization a competitive advantage that must be defended at all costs. 

The visit to battalion headquarters fixed the radio problems. With artillery support ensured, he returned to the Rangers just in time. Starting at 10:00 pm a Chinese 500-man battalion attacked the hill, using bugles to coordinate their effort. The Rangers fought ferociously and Puckett was able to coordinate artillery fire to help defeat the attack, including calling it in on top of his position. The Chinese were repulsed. Four more times the Chinese attacked and were beaten back. During the attacks, Puckett was wounded three times. Delirious, during the sixth assault, Puckett ordered a withdrawal. Despite his protests, two Rangers carried him to safety. The defense of Hill 205 resulted in 41 of the 51 Rangers becoming casualties.

 For Lieutenant Puckett, his war was over due to his wounds. He received the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on Hill 205. More importantly, the experience training and leading the 8th Ranger Company shaped his approach to developing leaders and organizations for a lifetime of service. He wrote about his experience in the book Ranger: A Soldier’s Life which available on Amazon here.

Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about Colonel Ralph Puckett, a true American hero. Go on the offense and lead the way for your team in 2021.