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Col. Ralph
Puckett (Ret)
United States Army
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Colonel Puckett was an inaugural inductee into
the United States Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 1992 for extraordinary
valor and distinguished service as a Ranger qualified leader. He
formed, trained, and commanded the Eighth Army Ranger Company as
a second and, later, first lieutenant. He earned the Distinguished
Service Cross for his actions on November 25-26, 1950, when he successfully
lead his 51 man Ranger Company against numerically superior Chinese
forces and established defensive positions on the captured company
objective. Though wounded in the initial counterattack, Lieutenant
Puckett directed the company’s defense that repelled five
assaults by a Chinese battalion. On the sixth counterattack, Lieutenant
Puckett was wounded a second and third time and, while staying behind
to fight, ordered his Rangers to withdraw. He was later evacuated
by his own men who fought their way onto the objective to rescue
him.
Following the Korean War, Puckett served as the
Commander of the Mountain Ranger Division of the Ranger Department.
As the first Ranger Advisor in the U.S. Army Mission to Colombia,
he planned and established the Colombian Army Escuela de Lanceros
(Ranger School). He commanded "B" and "C" teams
in the 10th Special Forces Group.
He was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross
in the Republic of Vietnam. Puckett’s other decorations and
awards include two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze
Stars, the Commendation Medal, ten Air Medals, and five Purple Hearts.
He has also been awarded the Cross of Gallantry with Palm from the
Republic of Vietnam and the Lancero Medal and Order of Merit from
Colombia. In 2001, he was awarded the United States Special Operations
Command Medal for his outstanding contributions to Special Operations
Puckett is a qualified Master Parachutist and Glider
Trooper. He has been awarded parachutist wings from Greece, Germany,
and the Republic of Vietnam. He has also earned the coveted U.S.
Army Ranger Tab and the Lancero Badge from Colombia.
Colonel Puckett is a 1949 graduate of the United
States Military Academy and has a Master’s Degree in Personnel
Administration from George Washington University. His military education
includes the Branch Immaterial Course, Infantry Officer Basic Course,
Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College,
Armed Forces Staff College, and Army War College. His military training
includes Airborne, Ranger, Glider, Special Forces, Jungle Warfare,
Winter Training, SCUBA, Skiing, and Lancero (Colombian Army) Courses.
Colonel Puckett retired in 1971 after 22 years
of active duty. He has continued to be very active in military affairs.
He speaks often at graduations and other ceremonies and functions
at Ft. Benning. He is an Honorary Instructor at The Infantry School.
He serves as the Honorary Colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment. He
was inducted into the Order of St. Maurice, Primicerius Rank, in
1998, and was selected as the 1998 Ranger of the Year by the Association
of Ranger Infantry Companies of the Korean War. He was inducted
into the USAF Gathering of Eagles in 1999. He was added to the Tifton
(GA) Wall of Fame in 2004. Other honors include appointment as an
Ambassador of Goodwill by the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security
Cooperation and selection as a Distinguished Graduate of the United
States Military Academy in 2004.
He lives in Columbus with his wife, the former
Jean Martin. They have one daughter, a son, and six grandchildren.
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