Yes, Robert Ward Reilly is a great fan of This Ain’t Hell. Yesterday, we began an email exchange about him calling himself a Ranger. So as proof, he sends me this which is supposed to take the place of his DD214;
Yes, I’m convinced that Ward Reilly is a Ranger now, aren’t you? I have a picture of me standing next to General Patton’s grave – so I guess that makes me a General.
Supposedly, this should convince me that his unit called themselves Rangers when he was assigned there (when he wasn’t AWOL and a deserter). Now the picture is pretty old (like Reilly himself), but I noticed a flaw in the picture that might be tape or a piece of paper on the sign;
I don’t know if there is something covering the word “Iron” or not, but it’s enough to make me wonder and the discoloration is just a little too coincidental. The thing I am sure about is that Reilly isn’t an Army Ranger no matter how many pictures he sends me.
Oh, he also wanted me to know that he brushes his teeth every day – so he’s not as nasty as I think.
First of all will someone please tell that nasty leg to get the hell off the grass and perhaps even try to scare up a damn haircut! Friggin leg!
LOL….he should have taken a picture next to Yogi bear. This would have been proof that he was a ranger.
I for one completely believe him now.
And am shocked he didn’t send us a picture of him scaling Point du Hoc.
Somethings definitely covering part of that sign. Whether by Tape then or Later Photoshopping/retouching of a Print.
My Company in Iraq used to call itself the Banshees, that didnt mean we were screaming women, Ward needs to come clean figuratively and literally.
I am not sure who this guy is, hell for all I know the guy could have been a POG and just wanted to get a pic in front of the company sign. But just to shut the guy up here is some historical refrence to throw in his face. Oh and yes they were called the “IRON Rangers”
16TH INFANTRY ASSOCIATION REGIMENTAL HISTORY
VIETNAM : 1965-1970
In 1965 the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment was alerted for shippment to Vietnam as a part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. The battalion departed on the USS Gordon for Vietnam on 14 July 1965. This marked the first time since the Philippine Insurrection that the “Rangers” set foot on Asian soil.
The “Rangers” immediately began to the task of building a new base camp at Long Binh. While the construction was going on at the aptly named Camp Ranger, platoon-size operations were taking place to the Southeast of Long Bihn. In July Staff Sergeant Frank M. Semens, Company A, 2nd Battalion was leading his squad when they were surprised by a small group of Viet Cong in a clearing. In the brief firefight that ensued, one Viet Cong was killed, marking the first confirmed V.C. killed by the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
During the last week in August the “Rangers” started a series of operations which never seemed to end. The initial phase took place just across the river from Bien Hoa Air Base in an area infested with bunkers, booby traps and tunnels. The V.C. in one bunker put up exceptionally tough resistance, but SP4 Wayne Beck of Rolla, Missouri refused to be kept pinned down. With complete disregard for his own safety, he charged the bunker aperture, pulled the trigger of his flame-thrower, and completely gutted the emplacement. For this act of valor and courage he received the first Silver Star awarded to a Big Red One soldier since their arrival in Vietnam.
In the many operations that followed, the “Rangers” continued to distinguish themselves, fighting in perhaps some of the most difficult conditions known to an infantryman. The enemy had to be found before he could be destroyed and to find him the troops had to remain almost constantly in the field. “Search and Destroy” operations such as operations MASTIFF, ABILENE, BIRMINGHAM, EL PASO, ATTLEBORO, CEDAR FALLS, and JUNCTION CITY found the unit operating as far as 70 miles from its base camp. In the thick, nearly impenetrable jungles of Tay Ninh near Cambodia, the “Iron Triangle” near Lai Khe, and northeast of Bia Gia towards the South China Sea, the “Rangers” inflicted heavy losses on enemy supplies and manpower.
There were times, however, when the price of victory was often costly. On Easter Sunday afternoon, 11 April 1966, C Company became engaged in one of the toughest battles of the Vietnamese War. Facing an estimated battalion of North Vietnamese Regulars in a well-fortified base camp, the “Rangers” fought fiercely, often hand to hand, for hours into the night. Although they suffered heavy casualties, the “Rangers” held their own until a relief force arrived the following morning. The Viet Cong however, had paid an even heavier toll. With close to 150 killed and their base camp destroyed, they were once again forced to flee to a new location and recuperate from their losses.
Toward the end of 1966, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry began a series of pacification or revolutionary development operations. The overall mission of these operations was to move into a semi-populated area and conduct extended operations. During operations ALLENTOWN and FAIRFAX, the battalion inflicted significant losses among the local guerrillas in the provinces of Gia Dinh, Thu Duc, and Lai Thieu.
Shortly after the New Year, the “Rangers” participated in Operation LAM SON in the Phu Loi area. This pacification operation had been continuously maintained by one of several infantry battalions for over six months prior to the arrival of the 2nd Battalion. The operation made use of practically all infantry tactics used in counterinsurgency operations, including day and night ambushes, village seal and search, heliborne assault, search and clear, and search and destroy. During the operation, the battalion compiled an impressive record and it was stated that the “Rangers” were the most successful infantry battalion to conduct such operations since the start of LAM SON. The Vietnamese showed their appreciation by recommending ten (10) individuals within the battalion for Vietnamese decorations.
On 10 October 1965, the 1st Battalion 16th Infantry arrived in Viet Nam with the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and was stationed initially at Bien Hoa. BUSHMASTER I was the first major operation that the battalion was involved in. Its mission was to clear a zone along Highway 13 between Lai Khe and Ben Cat in Phouc Vinh province. The unit conducted numerous air assaults during BUSHMASTER and earned a reputation for flexibility, mobility, and aggressiveness. This was followed closely by BUSH MASTER II and the battalion’s mission changed to “search and destroy.” Operations centered around the Michelin Rubber Plantation, an area with which the battalion would become intimately familiar over the next four years. In the first two months of operations, the battalion had killed or captured over 1600 NVA or VC soldiers.
In January 1967, the 1st Battalion participated in Operation CEDAR FALLS. This operation was a joint effort by the 1st and 25th Infantry Divisions, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 11th ACR to imposed severe casualties on VC units in Military Region 4, the “Iron Triangle.” This was followed by Operations TUCSON in February, BILLINGS in June, and SHENANDOAH in October. The year 1968 was also an eventful one for the 1st Battalion. It accounted for over 300 enemy KIA or captured and thousands of weapons and several tons of equipment and food destroyed or captured. Additionally in October 1968, the battalion was reorganized as mechanized infantry and adopted the nickname “Iron Rangers.”
In 1969, the “Iron Rangers” were involved the Vietnamization process, yet combat in and around areas like the Iron Triangle, Michelin Rubber Plantation, the Catcher’s Mitt, Ben Cat and Lai Khe, and participation in Operations BEAR TRAP, FRIENDSHIP, KENTUCKY COUGAR, IRON DANGER, and TOAN THANG IV accounted for an additional 426 enemy soldiers killed or captured. Ambush patrols and the sealing off of villages characterized operations during the year.
The last four months in Viet Nam saw the battalion working closely with its ARVN counterparts as it concurrently prepared to redeploy to Fort Riley. Combat activity did not abate, however, as the “Iron Rangers” conducted 690 ambush patrols in January, and 803 in February. March 3, 1970 saw the cessation of combat activities in the Republic of Viet Nam for the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry. The battalion stood down and the personnel headed home. The battalion remained nominally active as the colors and records were shipped to Augsburg, Germany where it was reorganized at full strength as part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in April 1970. The battalion remained there until its participation in Desert Storm in 1991, after which it returned to Fort Riley, Kansas where it remains today, the only active element of the 16th Infantry Regiment.
The operations were typical of the aggressiveness, drive and competence shown by both battalions of the 16th Infantry during their tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam. Today, as they have since the organization of the regiment over 135 years ago, the “Rangers” continue to be one of the finest units in the United States Army and stand ready to defend “Old Glory” when their nation calls.
The picture reminds me of those you take with a cardboard cutout of somebody famous. The picture proves nothing!
Just to add the icing on the cake;
Seems that the 2nd Battalion was called Rangers rather then 1st Battalion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._16th_Infantry_Regiment
Also all Ranger companies before 1975 where independent companies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Rangers
Also I found a website for that unit that I am writing a email too to ask about their history.
http://www.geocities.com/firstofthesixteenth/lookingfor.html
I realize that most of this is just common knowledge, but I figure destroying the claim completely was in order.
Everything there is left justified except that last line.
16th is 4 chatacters wide, so is IRON.
For the same kind of “fisex space font analysis” that brought down Dan Rather, I’d say that Ward has been sleeping with Lucy Ramirez in the backroom of a Kinko’s in in Texas.
I say that any CIB holder should have the automatic right to stomp the living shizzle out of any of these fakers. Sound good to you guys?
Can’t wait to see his reply to this one.
Not only does the pic totally convince ME, but I hope to send you guys a little known Photosho…uh…. photograph… of Claymore, beheading Uncle Ho with a Swiss Army Knife, while LBJ looks on and pleasures himself with Robert MacNamara. You KNOW it must be true!!!
Oh – and Smokey – yeah, I think your plan has merit. You should start a group called the OSS, for Organization of Shizzle Stompers!
PS – I know this is unkind but – did anyone besides me, look at that picture and suddenly hear the words, “Golllll-leeeee”..
You know life sucks when you have a Gomer Pyle flashback!!!
I join j3 and TSO, this is a TOTALLY convincing photo! Why, two completely rows of the checkerboard pattern, plus two, plus the extra, actually ADD UP to 1+16! And the SUPER name!! “Iron Rangers,”! How can you get better than that?
I was in a unit (CSC, 2/21st Inf.) for a time called the “Gimlets”! A “gimlet” is a Rock Screw! Forget the poetic crap about “steely gazes”! Although, this DOES make me wonder what an “Iron Ranger” actually does, or did. If REAL Rangers assault through and take the objective, notwithstanding friendly losses, what does a deserter’s contribution add to the bravery of those who did? Leave his comrades? I’m fairly sure that SOME “Iron Rangers” deserved their accolades, and would have been gladly accepted into the 75th Inf. “Ranger” fraternity based upon their accomplishments, but this turd-ball ain’t one of them.
Oh, and ask TSO to explain the relationship between Rock Screws and anal sex. I’m sure that he would LOVE to expound on this point.
What’s with the homemade sign? Is this like going down to the Clothing Sales store and buying a Rnager tab?
Ranger- Sorry.
The more I think about it, in his logic, because I can wear the 20th Engineer brigade combat patch that make me airbonre because it has the tab to go along with it.
Sporkmaster, we must have been in the same unit if you were in DS the first time around.
Note to the editors: I love this blog. Keep up the great work!!
Well not exactly, my unit fell under the 20th for a while before it was replaced last year. But according to the regulations I can wear the 20th Engineer patch as a combat patch. Plus I got into the army in April of 06.
The 16th Inf. was and still is part of the 1st I.D. Having the word Rangers or Iron Rangers as a unit motto does not mean that you attended RANGER school,or are RANGER qualified,or for that matter were ever asigned to the 75th Inf. Regt. (RANGER).This a$$hat is not the first clown that I have come across over the years that claimed RANGER status,because of that unit motto.
tim mcveigh was with the 16th. at Ft. Riley.
The following is an excerp from 1st Bn, 16th Reg, 1st ID website:
The Battalion nickname of “Rangers” was adopted from the Regiment when the Germans mistakenly reported the 16th Infantry to be Ranger units in their dispatches to higher headquarters during the Normandy Campaign during World War I.
The Battalion nickname of “Rangers” was changed to “Iron Rangers” in Vietnam on 21 October, 1968 (not 1966 like reported on another web site) in honor of the Armored Personnel Carriers when the 5th Battalion (Mechanized), 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division was swapped with the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
As far as anybody claiming to be a Ranger, that’s absurd. We called ourselves Rangers. Real Rangers got to go back to base camp and have cold suds, showers, px, and hooch chicks. I was a Grunt and proud of it. Only 2 things fall from the sky, birdshit, and airborne full of shit. We were in the field the whole time with only the sky for a ceiling. Our longest lasting man in the entire platoon was 6 months and during that entire time, he never saw Lai Khe. We were in the shit and you can keep your faggoty ass ‘Ranger’ tab and stick it where the sun don’t shine. The 16th Reg. goes all the way back through the entire Civil War and earned 60 battle streamers in the last 150 years.
“Twiggy” (cuz I was skinny and white)
M-60 machine gunner – mounted
M-16 – dismounted.
A Co. 1/16, 1st ID.
WIA 05-12-1969
RVN
ps. if any liberal prick calls you ranger guys names, I’ll stand beside you and deliver them a severe case of attitude. I can call you that but I’m a combat vet., but civilians can call you ‘Sir’.
Uh…
WTF, over.
Although, during Vietnam there were many Ranger Companies built up and serving in country. This is before the Ranger School go going.
In Vietnam, the Rangers were converted from Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (or “Lurp”) units recruited and trained in-country since 1966. The companies were designated C through I and K through P. There was no “J” Ranger Company; this is so there would be no confusion with the similar “I” (or India) designation on typed paperwork. Companies A and B were kept stateside as a strategic reserve in case they were needed overseas in Europe or the Americas.
Each independent company was attached to a Division or Separate Brigade. Rangers in Vietnam conducted long range reconnaissance behind enemy lines. They collected intelligence, planned and directed air strikes, acted as conventional operations force-multipliers, assessed bombing damage of enemy territory, executed night and day ambushes, and sniper attacks.
75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger)
Company Unit attached
Company A V Corps, Germany
Company I 1st Infantry Division
Company B VII Corps, Germany
Company K 4th Infantry Division
Company C I Field Force, Vietnam
Company L 101st Airborne Division
Company D II Field Force, Vietnam
Company M 199th Infantry Brigade (Light)
Company E 9th Infantry Division
Company N 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate)
Company F 25th Infantry Division
Company O 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
Company G 23rd Infantry Division
Company P 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Company H 1st Cavalry Division
Hey Dutch, thanks for the history lesson. What’s your point?
***** Ward Reilly is an acticist piece of excrement . He came onto the BRO board briefly with his crap but he knew there would be no way he could pose as a Vietnam Vet so he just interchanged with one Leftist guy barely there.
***** He goes Way back in his anti Wat activism , and in actuality had total disdain for most Vets seeing them as either reactionaries, obstacles or jerks.
i am looking for any of my brothers that were with me in the 1/16 charlie company. we were at lai khe and i was there from june 1966 untill nov 1966. i was wounded nov.29th and was airlifted out. i heard the other guys all didnt make it. sgt silva was my buddy. i welcome all news and comments
my father was there in your company, same time. Kenneth Wayne Kelly. What is your name?
I know this a dead thread, but I wonder why the sign is stenciled except for the ’16’
Guys for historical sake the 16th Infantry became Rangers for what happened on D-Day 6th June 1944,IE a nickname. I know the Regimental Association VP if you want I can ask about this guy.
My Grandfather was with the 16th he was a FO and XO for H co and luckily survived the war. FYI my contact is Col Steven Clay who wrote Blood and Sacrifice.
also 1/16 is Charlie Bandito.
Also what Machine Man said. Every Regiment has it’s myths legends and nicknames. Miss my grandpa.