Last week a nation said goodbye to LTG David E. Grange, Jr (USA, Ret). Most never knew he was, a man who served his nation in silence.

Loved by many, he was a man idolized. I had the opportunity to meet General Grange a couple of times long after his retirement, having been introduced by his son, MG David L. Grange who is also a distinguished Ranger and a legend in his own right.

I’ll share this piece from the National Ranger Association about General Grange.

May He Rest In Peace

“The Ranger mystique is at its best here at Fort Benning. 20 years from now, I’m not going to be around here, but you will be. And if you are in the Airborne & Ranger Training Brigade, you better be turning out Rangers even a lot better than the ones that I saw turned out or the ones like you. I want you to be better! Always.”

-LTG (R) David E. Grange, Jr.

As the namesake of the Best Ranger Competition, he inspired & created something tangible that is meaningful & powerful beyond measure to all involved. As a servant leader, he has taught us all through his example how to survive & thrive through all the different battles within this world & in our own lives with integrity & true grit. He taught us that it is not just what you offer, but how you pave a way for others to give their very best to themselves & to those that surround us. He didn’t run around building his legacy, he “ran around” making a difference.

We are his legacy.

LTG David E. Grange, Jr. was a Veteran of 20 campaigns in three wars as an infantryman. He enlisted in June of ’42, & served as a parachute infantryman in World War II. LTG Grange was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in ’50 & served in Korea with the 187th. He then served in Vietnam in ’63 as an Airborne/Ranger/infantry Advisor to the DODs Research & Development Field Unit. In ’67 he commanded the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. He returned to Vietnam for his third tour in ’70 where he commanded the 101st Support Command & the 3rd Brigade. He served as Director of the Ranger Department, & later commanded the 2ID, the U.S. Army Infantry Center, & the 6th U.S. Army.

For 97 yrs, this man gave every ounce of his life back to his family, his community, & his country. Through his dedicated service to others, he in turn designed a legacy for us to receive as individuals, as soldiers, and as an entire community. He is THE Standard. The legend of the game.

Even in our grief of never seeing him on this side of the Earth, his spirit will always be felt and forever revered. To our Airborne Ranger in the sky, rest now. You’ve lead the way.

LTG DAVID E. GRANGE, JR.
9 Apr 1925 -11 Sept 2022.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 18th, 2022 at 10:00 and is filed under Memorial. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.