LTG David E. Grange Jr., three war veteran and namesake of the Best Ranger competition has died. He was 97.
Born in upstate New York on 9 April 1925, Grange enlisted in the US Army in 1943. During WWII he was a paratrooper with the 517th PIR and fought in Italy, Southern France and the Ardennes. Following WWII, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne division where he attended OCS. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry in 1950, with an initial assignment with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment in Korea.
Following two tours during the Korean war, Grange was assigned as an instructor at the nascent Ranger school. He then served in a variety of staff positions until 1963, when he served his first tour in Vietnam as a Special Forces advisor. His two subsequent tours in Vietnam (1967-8 and 1970-1) were with the 82nd airborne as a battalion commander and the 101st Airborne as a brigade commander.
In 1971, following his return stateside, Grange was made the director of the US Army Ranger School. Following that assignment, he was the assistant division commander of the 4th ID, then based in Korea. Grange’s final assignment before his 1984 retirement was Commander 6th US Army.
Grange is among the few paratroopers in United States Army history to make three combat jumps—one during World War II (Southern France) and two in Korea (the Battle of Yongju and Operation Tomahawk). His other distinctions include three awards each of the Combat Infantryman Badge (for World War II, Korea and Vietnam) and the Silver Star for heroism in combat.
Grange is highly decorated, with awards including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Army Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters; Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster; Distinguished Flying Cross; Soldier’s Medal; 28 awards of the Air Medal with V; Bronze Star Medal with V and four Oak Leaf Clusters; Joint Service Commendation Medal with V; United States Army Commendation Medal with V and four Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Force Commendation Medal; and the Purple Heart.
In 1984, the “LTG David E. Grange, Jr. Best Ranger Competition” was named in his honor.