Myron N. Ranney
Myron N. Ranney | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Mike |
| Born | November 21, 1922[1] Kensal, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 1988 (aged 65)[1] |
| Buried | Golden Gate National Cemetery [1] |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942-1945 |
| Rank |  Staff Sergeant |
| Unit |  Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations |
|
Staff Sergeant Myron N. "Mike" Ranney (11 November 1922 – 22 September 1988)[1] was a non-commissioned officer with E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment]], in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Ranney was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Stephen Graham. Information about Ranney appeared in the 2010 book A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us.
Youth[edit]
Ranney was born in Kensal, North Dakota to Russell and Lucy Ranney as their only child.[2]:150 Ranney attended the University of North Dakota before the Attack on Pearl Harbor took place.[2]:152
Military service[edit]
Ranney enlisted and volunteered for paratroopers. He was sent to Toccoa, Georgia and was assigned to Easy Company, led by Captain Herbert Sobel. Ranney was one of the 140 original Toccoa men of Easy Company. Ranney was quickly made one of the staff sergeants of the unit.
Ranney and Terrence "Salty" Harris were the two non-commissioned officers who convinced other non-commissioned officers to resign their posts unless Captain Sobel was removed from command. Ranney was arrested by Military Police. Colonel Sink reduced both Harris and Ranney to rank of the private; Ranney was transferred to Item Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 506th.[2]:255
Ranney made his parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. He linked up with E Company men William Guarnere, Donald Malarkey, Lynn Compton, and Robert "Popeye" Wynn upon landing, and later found Lieutenant Winters. Ranney participated in the Brécourt Manor Assault, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions. Richard Winters, who led the assault, considered Ranney as one of "Easy Company's killers" who "instinctively understood the intricacies of battle."[3]:94 Ranney was promoted back to Sergeant after the battle in France.
Ranney parachuted into the Netherlands on 17 September 1944 for Operation Market Garden. On 2 October 1944, he accidentally shot himself with a pistol that he just cleaned, and was evacuated to England.[2]:159–160 Ranney was sent back to the U.S. on 1 December 1944. He was officially discharged on 24 April 1945.[2]:161
Later life and death[edit]
Ranney returned to the University of North Dakota and switched to a journalism major. He married Julia Hutchinson in 1946 and had 5 children.[2]:161–162 The couple divorced in 1971, remarried 4 years later but divorced again after 2 years.[2]:164
Ranney worked as a journalist for various newspapers. He also engaged in the field of public relations, but returned to journalism for the final years of his career.[2]:163
Beginning in 1946, Ranney and others started E Company reunions. Ranney was the principal organizer of the initial reunions.[3]:258
Ranney died on 22 September 1988 of a heart attack.[2]:165
The quote[edit]
The quote was from a letter Ranney wrote to Richard D. Winters on 25 January 1982.[2]
"I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day when he said, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?' I said 'No... but I served in a company of heroes.'"
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Myron N. Ranney at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Brotherton, Marcus (2010). A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us. Berkley Caliber. ISBN 978-0-425-23420-4. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Winters, Major Dick; Kingseed, Cole C. Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters. Search this book on
This article "Myron N. Ranney" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
