75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger)

75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger)
Active	1969–present
Country	United States
Branch	US Army
Type	Light infantry
Role	Vietnam War: LRRP; Post-Vietnam: Direct action; Special reconnaissance;
Size	15 companies (1969–74) ; 3 battalions (1974–86)
Garrison/HQ	Fort Benning, Georgia (1984–86)
Engagements	Vietnam War ; Operation Eagle Claw ; Invasion of Grenada

The 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) (officially 75th Infantry Regiment or 75th Infantry) was initially a parent regiment for all the US Army Ranger units during the Vietnam War and the early 1980s and then the headquarters for the Ranger battalions.

History

On 1 February 1969, as part of the U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), all U.S. Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) units were reorganized as the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger).[1] Fifteen Ranger companies were formed from reconnaissance units in Europe and Vietnam with lineage to Merrill's Marauders, the 5307th Composite Unit,[2] The companies were designated C through I and K through P. There was no "J" Ranger Company; this is so there would be no confusion with the similar "I" (or India) designation on typed paperwork. Companies A and B were kept stateside as a strategic reserve in case they were needed overseas in Europe or the Americas.

The Ranger companies were composed of small, heavily armed long range reconnaissance teams that patrolled deep in enemy-held territory. Each independent company was attached to a division or separate brigade and acted as the eyes and ears of those units. Rangers collected intelligence, discovered enemy troop locations, surveilled trails and enemy hot spots, directed artillery and air strikes, did bombing damage assessment, performed ambushes, and sniper attacks. Additionally, Rangers attempted recovering prisoners of war, captured enemy soldiers for interrogation, tapped the wire communications of the North Vietnam Army and the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (Vietcong) on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and mined enemy trails and roads.

Lineage

Organized as 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) on 3 October 1943

Consolidated with the 475th Infantry and unit designated as 475th Infantry on 10 August 1944

Inactivated on 1 July 1945

Redesignated as 75th Infantry on 21 June 1954

Allotted to the Regular Army on 26 October 1954

Activated on 20 November 1954

Inactivated on 21 March 1956

Reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System on 1 January 1969

Reorganized with Headquarters on 1 July 1984

Consolidated with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Ranger Battalions, unit designated as 75th Ranger Regiment and reorganized under the Regimental System on 3 February 1986

Organization

Vietnam War

When they were redesignated on February 1, 1969, the average TOE strength of a Ranger company was of 3 officers and 115 enlisted men, bringing the total to 118 men divided into a company headquarters, operations section, communications platoon and two patrol platoons.

There were some exceptions though; Company C, 75th Infantry (Ranger) had a strength of 230 men divided into a company Headquarters, operations section, communications platoon and four patrol platoons.

Companies D and H had each 198 men and Companies M, N, O and P each had 61 men, since these four units were created from LRP detachments assigned to brigades.

Ranger Companies

**75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger)**
Infantry (Ranger) Company	Activated on	Inactivated on	Previous LRP company	Subordinate to
Company A, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	19 December 1974	Company D (LRP), 17th Infantry	V Corps (Germany)
Company B, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	1 November 1974	Company C (LRP), 58th Infantry	VII Corps (Germany)
Company C, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	25 October 1971	Company E (LRP), 20th Infantry	I Field Force (Vietnam)
Company D (Ranger), 151st Infantry Company D, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969 20 November 1969	20 November 1969 10 April 1970	Company F (LRP), 51st Infantry	II Field Force (Vietnam)
Company E, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969 1 October 1969	23 August 1969 12 October 1970	Company E (LRP), 50th Infantry	9th Infantry Division (Vietnam)
Company F, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	15 March 1971	Company F (LRP), 50th Infantry	25th Infantry Division (Vietnam)
Company G, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	1 October 1971	Company E (LRP), 51st Infantry	23rd Infantry Division (Vietnam)
Company H, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	15 August 1972	Company E (LRP), 52nd Infantry which came from the Cavalry Division LRRPs	1st Cavalry Division (Vietnam)
Company I, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	7 April 1970	Company F (LRP), 52nd Infantry	1st Infantry Division (Vietnam)
Company K, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	10 December 1970	Company E (LRP), 58th Infantry	4th Infantry Division (Vietnam)
Company L, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	25 December 1971	Company F (LRP), 58th Infantry	101st Airborne Division (Vietnam)
Company M, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	12 October 1970	71st Infantry Detachment (LRP)	199th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Vietnam)
Company N, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	25 August 1971	74th Infantry Detachment (LRP)	173rd Airborne Brigade (Vietnam)
Company O, 75th Infantry (Ranger) Company O (Arctic Ranger), 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969 4 August 1970	20 November 1969 29 September 1972	78th Infantry Detachment (LRP)	3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Vietnam) US Army Alaska
Company P, 75th Infantry (Ranger)	1 February 1969	31 August 1971	79th Infantry Detachment (LRP)	1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mech.) (Vietnam)

Post-Vietnam reorganization

Battalions

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References

"SuaSponte.com Vietnam Rangers page (access not allowed)". Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
On 1 February 1969 the U.S. Army designated the 75th Infantry Regiment successor of the 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders).

External links

75th Ranger Regiment lineage

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[1] "SuaSponte.com Vietnam Rangers page (access not allowed)". Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 10 September 2007.

[2] On 1 February 1969 the U.S. Army designated the 75th Infantry Regiment successor of the 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders).