jrdubois Intro

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jrdubois
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jrdubois Intro

Post by jrdubois »

I volunteered for the Army on 16Jun68 and was selected to compete for a Regular Army appointment to West Point. A few months into the program, a relatively minor back injury disqualified me for attendance at the Academy, but I was in good enough shape for the Army to send me to Viet-Nam in Jun 69 as an 11-B. I was assigned to a line outfit in the 4th Division. After 90 days, running voluntary greenlight missions outside the wire, etc my former military school First Sergeant (who was in-country) talked to me about joining the LRRPS and recommended me to the platoon sergeant (Sgt Parker?) of the 2nd Brigade LRRPs (E-58th). I volunteered, was interviewed and was accepted around Sep1969. I ran missions for several months as a 2nd Bde LRRP until we were merged into the K-75th Rangers. I continued to run missions with the Rangers, lived in a Montagnard Village on the border of Cambodia and ran deep LRRP missions into Cambodia with Montagnard guides to find NVA and supply lines along the Ho-Chi-Minh trail. We'd monitor bombing runs, report body counts, take Chieu Hoi survivors into custody until they could be picked up, pull ambushes, snatches and otherwise try to keep ourselves from being compromised. Around New Year's 1969-70, I was running radio relay for some other ranger teams out of an LZ (I believe it was English) that got overrun by a sapper attack. I was too close to a satchel charge when I dove for cover, managed not to get mangled, but it blew out my hearing, particularly my left ear. I reported the incident to the medic and was sent for an evaluation back at Enari, then sent to Quinohn for a full evaluation. They took me off of field duty for the remainder of my tour and accordingly I was transferred out of the K-75th by First Sergeant Keller.

I've maintained contact with Top Keller over the years. He advised me that I had full rights as a K-75th Ranger and I subsequently joined the 75th Ranger Regiment Association as a lifetime member. I wasn't able to attend the last reunion but as a token of his appreciation for my service to the unit, Top sent me a 75th RRA T-Shirt and Cap.

I'm being treated at the West Palm Beach VA since 2009 for PTSD, hearing loss and back related injuries and have a 40% SRD rating that should be going up in a couple of months.

I'm proud to have served my Country and to have volunteered and been a part of one of the most elite outfits in the military, running missions that were some of the most dangerous in the War. I wear the 75th RRA t-shirt that Top Keller gave me proudly when I go to the VA or attend other appropriate military Vet events. I do not feel comfortable wearing any clothing that bears the Black/Yellow RANGER Patch, which is where I would appreciate some advice. While I am one of the few people on the planet who qualifies to be a Ranger by my voluntary service, I did not attend Ranger School and was not awarded the Patch. Nor did I go through Airborne school. I do not want to be a poser or ever even be thought of as being one. Am I correct that I should avoid wearing these designations or is it possible that I am considered a full-blown Ranger by virtue of my wartime service in the Unit? I want to participate in the Ranger Association, feel I have paid my dues, but I would prefer the opinion of my peers before I put myself out there any further. The 75th RRA patch does say Airborne Ranger. I think getting dumped out of choppers flying at 10 feet into an LZ and getting 3 compression fractures probably qualifies me for having been there, done that. Your comments will be appreciated if they are offered.
2nd Bde LRRPS
K-75th Rangers
Vietnam 1969-70
75th Ranger Regiment Assn. Lifetime Member # 1921

"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize
how close they were to success when they gave up."
Thomas Edison
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al_2ndWolfhounds
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by al_2ndWolfhounds »

Welcome Young Ranger. Relish your right to wear your justly earned Scroll, many of us Tabbed Rangers envy you. You will find many of our era here, with many of them being Ranger Company and LRRP Vets like you.
RLTW

Active service 01/67-12/73
Ranger Class 10-68
2/27 Inf 25th Inf Div Vietnam 01/69-01/70

"In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take." - Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965)
“The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on.” – Joseph Heller, Catch-22
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CharlieRanger1FFV
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by CharlieRanger1FFV »

Welcome to the site, Kilo Ranger. Not all LRP / Ranger units were 100% Airborne qualified, although a few were. I never heard a Nam Ranger unit with 100% Ranger Tab qualified personnel. But you are a Combat Ranger, so wear your combat scroll proudly . . .as we all do!
Some higher highers will be by shortly with some good info for you.

RLTW!!!
Silencium Mortium

B /1/504 82nd Abn 69 - 70
C co (Ranger) 75th (Abn) Inf, II Corps Rangers, 70 - 71 Viet Nam
12th SFG (A) 76 - 78
75th Ranger Regiment Association, Lifetime Member # 2776
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K.Ingraham
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by K.Ingraham »

Ranger Dubois, you apparently served honorably in combat with a Ranger unit - that makes you a Ranger. Not having been to the DA school doesn't enter into it. There's all sorts of "ranger flavors" in here - Regimental (which includes every combination of tabbed/combat/non-combat/non-tabbed), tabbed but didn't served in a Ranger unit, BDQs, LRRP/LRP/LRS (with or w/o tabs) etc.

Once verified (something we do with everyone here, nothing personal) you'll be more than welcome & I'm always happy to see you Vietnam guys appear and keep bumping me back down the age curve here :P There's some K Co Rangers here so you should be feeling at home right soon.

There's a lot of overlap between the forums and RRA members. If you can make it to the reunion, watch out for us.

Happy Independence Day.
http://www.75thrra.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
2d Bn U.D. for 75th Ranger Regt Assn

2d Bn(Ranger)75 Inf 1975-'77
RS 9-76
Former mentor to RANGER XCrunner.

"I am well aware that by no means equal repute attends the narrator and the doer of deedsSallust ‘The Catiline Conspiracy’
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garyedolan
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by garyedolan »

Welcome, Brother LRP/Ranger. Thank you for your gallant Warrior Service to our country. WELCOME HOME. Hope to see you at Mother Benning in July at Ranger Rendezvous proudly wearing your combat scroll. You will be amazed, honored and humbled at the fantastic reception you receive from all the "Baby Rangers!"
Gary "28"
Co C (RGR), 75 Inf (ABN) '70-'71
USMA 69; RGR 4-70; RHOF-2011
http://oftheirownaccord.com

"Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be." Douglas MacArthur
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Jim
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Jim »

You'll do fine here, Ranger. You are among brothers. Welcome...
Ranger Class 13-71
Advisor, VN 66-68 69-70
42d Vn Ranger Battalion 1969-1970
Trainer, El Salvador 86-87
Advisor, Saudi Arabian National Guard 91, 93-94
75th RRA Life Member #867
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Steadfast
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Steadfast »

Welcome brother K/75 Ranger.

I was in 2nd Bgde LRRP's & in beginning of Sep '69 I got hurt and was sent to Camp Enari on crutches to healup doing odds & ends.
After 2 weeks, I went out to An Khe where all my gear from 2nd Bgde was brought up for me. Guess that was the time we were merging. At An Khe I ran missions in that AO until end of the year.

I sat next to Keller on the bus to Infantry Museum in Kansas City (in 2008) and asked him a million or so questions I had held back for so many years and he answered me every one of them.

I do have a shirt with a Ranger Tab but it also has every Ranger Unit in RVN Including BDQ's, & the 3 present Ranger Regiment Units so I also state that only the K co scroll represent me & the rest tells of many other Rangers that have served and are serving honorably.

You & me Ranger will be exchanging PM's no doubt.
RLTW
Steadfast

4/325 82d DIV 68-69
2nd Bde HHC (LRRP), 4 ID
K Co (Rgr), 75th Inf (Abn), 4 ID
69-70
I cooked with C- 4
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Buzz
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Buzz »

Welcome Ranger.
2nd squad-1st plt-C 2/75 77-78
RS 4-78

The way I became a Ranger and have earned the small amount of success I have had in life has been mostly due to one quality - determination. Lefty.
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Steadfast
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Steadfast »

I am sending you a packet, complete it and return it to me via PM.
RLTW
Steadfast

4/325 82d DIV 68-69
2nd Bde HHC (LRRP), 4 ID
K Co (Rgr), 75th Inf (Abn), 4 ID
69-70
I cooked with C- 4
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Mingo Kane
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Mingo Kane »

Hooah...Hooah, Welcome Ranger and thank you for your service to this country.
B Co. 1st/75th 1983-86
Mentor to JTEL1
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Steadfast
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Joined: December 19th, 2003, 10:09 am

Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Steadfast »

So that platoon sergeant, was he tall/short? Thin hair on top, missing top of finger(s)? Wearing a dumbass Australian Bush hat?
Who was the PL at your inteview.

What was the name of your 1st TL.
RLTW
Steadfast

4/325 82d DIV 68-69
2nd Bde HHC (LRRP), 4 ID
K Co (Rgr), 75th Inf (Abn), 4 ID
69-70
I cooked with C- 4
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sinjefe
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by sinjefe »

I don't post much, but thought I would say welcome. I, too, never attended ranger school, but jumped into Grenada with 1/75. Not anywhere near your test of fire, but I have always felt a little of what you so eloquently described. I will say this, Of the 26 years I spent in before I retired, 23 was in SOF. My first 2+ in 1/75 and the difference in 7th SFG and SWC. By far, my experience in 1/75 (E-1 thru E-4) shaped my time in the Army more than anywhere else. So, don't feel disappointed for not having gone to RS. I don't and I wore my SSI-FWS scroll proudly as you should.

Anyway, welcome.
'82-'85 HHC, 1/75
'85-'87 101st Abn Div (AASLT)
'87-'89 9th Inf Div (MTZ)
'89-'02 7th SFG (A)
'02-'06 Advisor, Colombian Counter Narcotics JTF
'06-'08 JFK Special Warfare Center
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Steadfast
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Re: jrdubois Intro

Post by Steadfast »

Steadfast wrote:So that platoon sergeant, was he tall/short? Thin hair on top, missing top of finger(s)? Wearing a dumbass Australian Bush hat?
Who was the PL at your interview.

What was the name of your 1st TL.
We haven't heard from you in quite a while jrdubois.

I was wondering when you would answer this question I asked several weeks ago. Aside from these questions another Ranger told me he PM'd you and you did not bother to respond to him.

On this site we pride ourselves with our open communication to each other & our word as Rangers is all we got.
RLTW
Steadfast

4/325 82d DIV 68-69
2nd Bde HHC (LRRP), 4 ID
K Co (Rgr), 75th Inf (Abn), 4 ID
69-70
I cooked with C- 4
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