THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

See left: The 71 WWII Oklahoma Rangers (including T/SGT Victor Henry Fast Company E, 5th Ranger Battalion from Corn, OK), will be inducted as a group into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame in 2024.

Seven Battalions of Rangers fought in World War II, some 6,947 men, all volunteers. We know of only 11 of these men who are still living as of May 29, 2024. Rangers spearheaded every invasion in the North African and European theaters, and in the Pacific the 6th Ranger Battalion performed one of the bravest rescues of the war many miles behind enemy lines at Cabanatuan to save 516 POW’s from certain execution by the Japanese. 

Throughout World War II, Rangers Led the Way!

We have identified 71 Oklahomans who served as Army Rangers in WWII.  All are deceased. Oklahomans Dixon, Malone and Wolf participated in the Cabanatuan Raid. Oklahomans Adkins, Anderson and Miller  were documented to have particpated in the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944.

These men will be inducted as a group into our Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame on October 26, 2024. 

We want to find as many relatives as possible to help us memorialize their Ranger. The list of our 72 Rangers is below.  If you can help us, please send us an email at info@okmhf.org.

Legend: 

3RgrC CO -  C Company, Third Ranger Battalion

POW - Prisoner of War

KIA - Killed in Action

ASN - Army Serial Number

DNB - Died Non Battle

FSSF - First Special Service Force

Cabanatuan Raid - documented participant in the action

A-B-C

SGT Lee  R Adams (DNB)

ASN 36291900 3RgrC CO

DNB 1 Jan 1944 Lucrino, Italy

Ardmore, OK

PFC Sammie Adkins (KIA)

ASN 38322691 2RgrC

KIA on D-Day 6 June 1944
Point De La Percee, FR

Purple Heart

Hulbert, OK

S/SGT Christopher M Anderson

ASN 38127535 2RgrE

At Point Du Hoc 6 June 1944

Purple Heart

Perry, OK

PFC Eula C Ballard (MIA)

ASN 38467585 5RgrHQ CO

At Brest, France  9 Sept 1944

Tulsa, OK 

T/5 Thomas Bearpaw  (POW)

Native American (Cherokee)

ASN 38273760 3RgrA

Tahlequah, OK

SSGT Rement W Brakhage

ASN 38129377 5RgrE

Bronze Star

South Coffeyville, OK

PFC Delbert E Brown 

ASN 38272730  1RgrB  FSSF

Ardmore, OK

SGT Marion J Callaway (POW)

ASN 38274148  3RgrF

Lawton, OK

2 LT William K Carr 

ASN 1112607 4Rgr FSSF HQ 1Regt

Tulsa, OK

PVT Alfonso J Cruz (POW)

ASN 38270310 1RgrE  Stalag 38

SGT Robert Lyle Cunningham (POW)

ASN 38273718 3RgrF

Durham, OK

D-E-F

PFC Aubrey “Blacky “Daniels (POW)

ASN 38273760 1RgrA, 3RgrF

Leedey, OK

PVT Milton D Dewbre

ASN 38395802 3Rgr C CO  FSSF

Ryan, OK

CPT John J Ditmars 

ASN 1171519 6RgrC

August 5, 1917 - March 18, 2008

Oklahoma City, OK

Daughter, Diane Ditmars Culbertson, Edmond, OK (5/27/24)

Son, John J. Ditmars Jr.; Son, Richard C. Ditmars

Grandson, John J. Ditmars III

PVT Billy Junior Davis (KIA)

ASN 18194297 1RgrE

KIA 7/10/1943 Gela, Sicily

Pauls Valley, OK

LT James K Davis

ASN O-1015929 4RgrC /FSSF 3-1

9 June 1912 – 9 Aug 2000 Buried in WA

Hobart, OK 

PFC Virgil Sherman Dixon 

ASN 38079621 6RgrC 

8 May 1915-23 Sept 1999

Checotah, OK

*Cabanatuan Raid

T/SGT Victor Henry Fast 

5/E Rgr 

4 June 1923-8 June 2008

Corn, OK

CPL Avery J Ford (POW)

ASN 38015502  3RgrC

Buffalo, OK

Daughter, Enid, OK 

PVT William Q Foster  

ASN 38319486  4Rgr

6/21/1921 – 1/29/1993

Broken Arrow, OK

T/Sgt Ralph C Franks

ASN 38022908  6RgrD

11/24/1916 - 6/19/1998

Cleveland, OK

G-H-I

PFC Ivan J Gannon

ASN 38015433 1RgrE, 4Rgr B

Alva, OK

PFC Wayne D Goad (KIA)

ASN 38403468 2RgrC

KIA D-Day 6/6/1944

Point de la Percee, FR

Mangum, OK

PVT James Greenfeather 

ASN 38319915  1RgrF 4RgrD

Native American Eastern Shawnee Chief

Quapaw, OK

SSGT Harold W Hankins (POW)

ASN 20837701 1RgrF  Stalag 3B 

PFC Robert P Hinman, Jr

ASN 16035747 2RgrE

11/11/1923 – 07/22/2011

Grove, OK

PVT Alexander E Hutton Jr

ASN 31418795  6RgrE

8/20/26 – 2/2/2024

Moore, OK

J-K-L

TSGT Theodore A James 

ASN: 06938331   2RgrA   

Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart

Born Jenks, OK 05/16/21-02/4/75

Buried Dennard, AR

PVT Jack W Johnson (KIA)

ASN 18194661 1Rgr

KIA 10 July 1943 Gela, Sicily

Stillwater, OK

PFC Lester W Johnson

ASN 16035747 2RgrE

North Miami, OK

CPL Presley D Johnson (KIA)

ASN 18124937 3RgrE

Born  Fort Townsen, OK 8/6/1922

KIA 31 January 1944 Cisterna, Italy

Hugo, OK

PVT Calvin Dodd Kight  

ASN 18016421  1RgrE/4RgrA

2/5/1922 – 9/20/1998

Yukon, OK

PFC Johnny Kiser

ASN 18081373 3RgrC, FSSF HQ Det 2B 3Reg

Valiant, OK 

PVT Lloyd E Kittley (POW)

ASN 38062075 3RgrC

Marshall, OK

PVT Nabih G Kotite, C Co  

ASN 10600840  29th Prov Rgr  

1915 - 12/11/1960 FL   L Co 175th

PFC Odis Lester Lawhon 5/E Rgr 

23 Sept. 1925-31 Jan. 1991
Wright City, OK

PFC Joseph E Long (POW)

ASN 18097141 3RgrE Stalag 3B

M-N-O

PFC Walter R McNichols 

ASN 39710737 2RgrHQ

Broken Arrow, OK

SSG Lester Leroy Malone

ASN 38023241  6RgrC  

11/2/1919 -  4/10/2016 

Choctaw, OK

*Cabanatuan Raid

Ray H Mason (KIA)

ASN 38691360 2Rgr

KIA 7 Dec 1944

Pryor, OK

PFC Kenneth F Masters

ASN 38700806 5RgrD

Tulsa, OK 

CPT George R Miller
5RgrD, 26 Inf Div 104th Inf,
Transfer 11Sep43 to 5th Ranger Bn 

Omaha Beach June 6, 1944
Silver Star, Inductee OKMHF 2020

Kenefic, OK 

Son, Chuck Miller, Windsor, CO (5/30/24)

SSGT George W Monks

ASN 39129167 5RgrF

Yukon, OK 

CPT Paul B Mueggenberg

ASN 38023062 6RgrHQ 

Stillwater, OK

PFC Jesse M Niblach  (KIA)

ASN 18051884 5RgrD

KIA 25 Feb 1945 Irsch-Zerf Campaign

Osage County, OK

P-Q-R

PFC Roy B Peters

ASN 38023520 6RgrC

Oklahoma City, OK

PVT Roy C. Pilgrim (POW)

ASN 36953498 1RgrHq

Tulsa, OK

CPL Clyde E Ray (POW)

ASN 38319586 3RgrD

Wetumka, OK

T/5 Buford Louis Riddle (1/16 Osage)

ASN 18015009 2RgrHQ

11 May 1920-24 Feb 1992

Avant, Oklahoma

CPL James C Ritchey  

ASN 18194221  1RgrB

Transferred out after Anzio 

Coyle, OK

PFC Walter W Roach  (KIA)
ASN 38321488 29th Prov Rgr  I/B Co 116th  
1922 -KIA 6/6/1944

SGT Orvil R Roberts

ASN 06584755  6RgrD

4/8/1918 - 8/24/2004  

Elk City, OK 

CPL Cloyd Robison (POW)

ASN 18162651  1RgrF 

POW Jan 1944 – May 1945

1/2/1915 – 10/14/1998 

Tulsa. OK

S-T-U

SGT Guy L Sewell  

Native American (Choctaw)

ASN 38018403 1RgrF, 4RgrE

Ardmore, OK

T/SGT Jack L Sharp

ASN 38063530  5RgrHQ

11/19/1915- 11/13/1975

Lawton, OK

PVT Thomas NMI Skelton
ASN: 18128664  29th Prov Rgr
1922 - 7/21/1975 CA   E Co 175th

T/5 Karl E Smith

ASN 18129756  3RgrE, FSSF 5-2

Earlsboro, OK

PFC Conrad J Solf

ASN 38182819  6RgrC

11/6/1921  - 10/11/2001

Carmen (Alfalfa County),  OK
*Cabanatuan Raid

CPL Hollis Dorion Stabler  

Rangers called him “Chief”

Native American (Omaha)

ASN 6934103 4RgrHQ FSSF 6-1

Lawton, OK

CPL Lewis A. Strange (KIA)

ASN 38018340 1RgrF, 4RgrE

KIA 4 Nov 1943 Venafro, Italy

Fletcher, OK

CPT Leonard  Summers JR

ASN 0527866  5RgrD 

8/19/22 - 12/2/1994

Dougherty, OK

CPL Benjamin Franklin Swindle

ASN 20825552 1RgrA, 3RgrF, 4Rgr  

Washington, OK

1st SGT Dee Thomas

ASN 38087150 6Rgr

01/06/14 – 03/17/1990

Talihina, Oklahoma

PFC Jack D Troutt (KIA)

ASN 39727332  2RgrD

KIA 12/7/44  Bergstein, Germany

Blanchard, OK

General Lucian K. Truscott

Distinguished Service Cross in WWII

Led the creation of the 1st Ranger Battalion in 1942. 

1994 Ranger Hall of Fame - Honorary Induction.

Born in Texas, 1895, and taught school in OK before joining the Army in 1917.

Stella (Norman area), OK 

U-V-W

T/5 Charles Walters  

ASN 18085493 1RgrHQ, Original, 4Rgr

Enid, OK

PVT Russell K Weatherford  

ASN: 10600929  29th Prov Rgr 

1918- 2/9/20001 AZ Unit

SGT Virgil E Webster

ASN 38023413 6RgrD 

Vinita, OK

CPL Robert Wesley Winkcompleck

ASN 38018953 1RgrF 4RgrF FSSF 6-2

Kendrick, OK

SSGT Floyd T Wilemon

ASN 18086200 6RgrE

Wister, OK

PFC J D Williams 

ASN 38694748  2RgrC 1st Platoon

Bronze Star and CIB

Leflore County, OK

Cabanatuan Raid

*Oklahoman from Atoka, 1Lt Tom Rounsaville, an Alamo Scout, also participated in the rescue of 511 POWs in the Cabanatuan Raid. Total of 4 Oklahomans were in the 137-soldier Ranger/Alamo Scout rescue raid 25 miles behind enemy lines.