Acknowledgments
Special thanks are due Colonel (Retired) Robert Black of the 8th Rangers
for inspiring us, for encouraging all infantry companies (airborne) to publish a
unit history book, and for providing the initial morning reports (M/Rs). We
also give special thanks to retired Colonel Robert “Bob” Channon, 3rd Ranger
Infantry Company (Airborne), author of The Cold Steel Third about the Third
Airborne Ranger CompanyKorean War (1950-1951) (Franklin, North
Carolina: Genealogy Publishing Service, 1993) for his editorial assistance and
encouragement.
We are also grateful to Joe Watts, author of Korean Nights about the 4th
Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), 1950, 1951 (St. Petersburg, Florida:
Southern Heritage Press, 1997) for reminding us of incidents we had forgotten
and for providing the copies of early morning reports about our experiences
with the 4th Company (T/A). We are deeply indebted to Constance Burns,
U.S. Army Center of Military History, Fort McNair, D.C., for her willingness to
serve as coordinator, manager and researcher for the 2nd Ranger Company’s
history. She spent untold volunteer hours in the final editing, preparation and
organization of this manuscript. Although most of our research was conducted
before the manuscript was completed, it proved of great benefit to have
Thomas Faith to retrieve additional documents for our review. We express our
appreciation to Cathy Frye for her editorial comments and reviews.
Without the extraordinary efforts of the members of the 2nd Ranger
Company this book would have been impossible to write. I owe a debt of
gratitude to all members of the 2nd Ranger Company: when we first consulted
about this book, we determined to make it a collective effort to make our
accomplishments known.
The author wishes to acknowledge his grateful appreciation to Major James
Queen and SFC William Weathersbee for their hard work and effort in
compiling information and researching this book. Without their contributions
this story would not be told. Major Queen and SFC Weathersbee were the
forcewith the support of members of the 2nd Ranger Companyto make
sure that as much information as possible was collected. Major Queen and SFC
Weathersbee died before this book was completed. Again, I would like to
express my gratitude for their honorable service and loyal dedication to the
Ranger spirit.
I also wish to thank Herculano Dias and Lawrence Estell for their
invaluable help in compiling material. These men and I also owe special thanks
to the wives, Linda Dias, Linda Estell, Phyllis Queen, Alberta Weathersbee and
Mary A. Posey, for assuming the family duties while we roamed the world
attending veterans’ activities. They not only had the children, but also played a
major role in their upbringing. Last but not least, I would like to thank my
nephew, Michael Evans, for doing a lot to help me gather my thoughts and
describe actual events.
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