Master Sergeant (Ret) Edward L. Posey joined the US Army in 1947. After

serving with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment,

he volunteered for airborne training with the Rangers in 1950 and served

Sergeant Posey retired from the service in 1969. In 2002, he was inducted in

the Ranger Hall of Fame for his dedication to duty and distinguished military

The 2D Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) was the first and only all-

black Ranger unit in the history of the United States Army.  Its ten-month

lifespan included selection, training, and seven months of combat

deployment  in Korea, after which the unit was deactivated.  Edward

Posey’s magnificent new study is the first complete history of this elite, all-

volunteer unit. whose members were drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the

505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft

Battalion.

After experiencing the normal travails of boot camp at Fort Benning, which

segregation and racism only made worse, the all-black Rangers set out to

join the Korean War in late 1950.  On January 7, 1951, the Rangers found

themselves defending a critical rail-road running through Tanyang Pass,

which Communist guerillas tried to infiltrate.  The night-time action

triggered the Rangers’ inaugural combat, which ended with the

recommendation for a Bronze Star for gallantry  for a Ranger sergeant. 

Additional combats with the North Korean and Communist Chinese forces

erupted near Majori-ri and Chechon.

But the event that propelled the 2d Rangers into the record books was their

airborne assault near Musan-Ni on March 23, 1951--the first in Ranger

history.  Once on the ground, Posey and his comrades attacked and captured

Hill 151.  The fighting--often conducted at very close quarters, and some of

it with the bayonet and rifle butt--demonstrated the courage of these tough African American soldiers. 

Heavy fighting marked their months at the front, including a  magnificent attack and defence of Hill 581

that May.  Throughout their deployment in Korea, the 2d Rangers served with honor and achieved an

outstanding combat record.

Posey’s long overdue history (written with the help of other Rangers) is based upon the first-hand

experiences of many members of the unit, official records, interviews with survivors, and other archival

material.  Stitched together, this information offers a rich and worthy addition to the growing literature on

the Korean War by explaining tghe obstacles these patriotic African Americans faced, their sacrifices, and

their courageous actions on the far side of the world.

Nearly sixty years have passed since the Korean War slipped into the realm of history.  Now, the world will 

finally learn the true story of the United States Army’s first, last, and only all-black Ranger unit.

Master Sergeant (Ret) Edward L. Posey joined the US Army in 1947. After

serving with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment,

he volunteered for airborne training with the Rangers in 1950 and served

Sergeant Posey retired from the service in 1969. In 2002, he was inducted in

the Ranger Hall of Fame for his dedication to duty and distinguished military

Officers of the 2nd Ranger Company going

over plans for a night attack by members of

the company against a North Korean held

town in the X Corps area of Central Korea.

Officers shown are, L-R: First Lieutenant

Warren E. Allen - Company Commander,

Lieutenant Vincent Wilburn - 2nd Platoon

Leader and Lieutenant James Queen -

Company Executive Officer. 12 February

1951 

Members of the 2nd Ranger Company (Airborne) aboard

ship en route to Korea in 1950. First lieutenant Warren E.

Allen, Company commander, is standing second from right. 

Members of the 2nd Ranger Company earned numerous awards for Valor. Unit awards include

The troops of the famed 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) were all pioneers in their own

right. They blazed a trail though uncharted jungles they fought tenaciously and won against an

uncanny and sinister enemy. Their accomplishments on the field of battle are legendary and will

forever be recorded in the military annals of elite United States combat units.

Master Sergeant (Ret) Edward L. Posey joined the US Army in 1947. After

serving with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment,

he volunteered for airborne training with the Rangers in 1950 and served

Sergeant Posey retired from the service in 1969. In 2002, he was inducted in

the Ranger Hall of Fame for his dedication to duty and distinguished military

Officers of the 2nd Ranger Company going

over plans for a night attack by members of

the company against a North Korean held

town in the X Corps area of Central Korea.

Officers shown are, L-R: First Lieutenant

Warren E. Allen - Company Commander,

Lieutenant Vincent Wilburn - 2nd Platoon

Leader and Lieutenant James Queen -

Company Executive Officer. 12 February

1951 

Members of the 2nd Ranger Company (Airborne) aboard

ship en route to Korea in 1950. First lieutenant Warren E.

Allen, Company commander, is standing second from right. 

Members of the 2nd Ranger Company earned numerous awards for Valor. Unit awards include

The troops of the famed 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) were all pioneers in their own

right. They blazed a trail though uncharted jungles they fought tenaciously and won against an

uncanny and sinister enemy. Their accomplishments on the field of battle are legendary and will

forever be recorded in the military annals of elite United States combat units.