Seventeen Rangers Added to Ranger Hall of Fame at Ft. Benning

An Army Ranger team leader who led a convoy during the fierce battle known as Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu, Somalia, who is now Columbus, GA chaplain is among 17 Rangers that were inducted Wednesday into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning.

The Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade and the 75th Ranger Regiment hosted the annual event at Ft. Benning. After the ceremony, photos and citations of the inductees were displayed in the Ranger Hall of Fame at the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade in Harmony Church.

The inductees to be honored are: Chaplain Jeffery D. Struecker, Sgt. Maj. Tyrone J. Adderly, Command Sgt. Maj. Frank G. Ashe, 1st Sgt. Herbert M. Baugh, 1st Sgt. Ronald W. Grenier, Master Sgt. Gilbert H. Howland, Staff Sgt. Ronnie N. Imel, Command Sgt. Maj. Richard C. Lamb, Maj. Larry D. Moores, Brig. Gen. James C. Nixon, U.S. Navy Lt. Thomas R. Norris, Master Sgt. Leroy A. Petry, 1st Sgt. Michael J. Ramsey, Sgt Maj. John W. Roy, Command Sgt. Maj. Charles W. Thompson, Lt. Gen. John R. Vines and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew C. Walker.

The Hall of Fame has recognized the contributions of Rangers since 1992 by honoring and preserving the spirit of America’s finest soldiers. Representing and era of Ranger history, inductees are selected impartially from Ranger units and associations.

To become eligible for the nomination, each soldier must be a successful graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School, be deceased, separated or retired from active-duty military service for at least three years and served in a Ranger unit in combat.

Struecker is now lead pastor at Cavalry Baptist Church in Columbus. As a 24-year-old sergeant, he was a squad leader assigned to Task Force Ranger in 1993 as part of the 75th Ranger Regiment. While facing intense fire in the Battle of Mogadishu, Struecker led the three-vehicle convoy back to the base with wounded Ranger Pvt. Todd Blackburn.

“Ranger School was an introduction into manhood and a rite of passage”, said Adderly, who was personally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by then President Richard Nixon. Adderly a Green Beret participated in the Son Tay Raid to rescue American Prisoners of War in North Vietnam. It is listed as one of the 10 greatest raids in military history.

“At Ranger School, I came to understand fully what maximum effort is about,” Adderly said. “Either you want to be or you don’t want to be.”

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Photo courtesy US Army