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.

Never Forget these fine people who were taken from us by evil men. Let’s honor the heroes of Flight 93 who made a fateful decision that they weren’t going to become pawns in a crazed attempt to decapitate our government. They took the enemy on, firsthand. They will always have our respect.

The Crew
Jason Dahl
LeRoy Homer, Jr.
Lorraine Bay
Sandra Bradshaw
Cee Cee Lyles
Wanda Green
Deborah Anne Jacobs Welsh

The Passengers
Christian Adams
Todd Beamer
Alan Beaven
Mark Bingham
Deora Bodley
Marion Britton
Thomas E. Burnett Jr.
Willam Cashman
Georgine Rose Corrigan
Patricia Cushing
Joseph DeLuca
Patrick “Joe” Driscoll
Edward Porter Felt
Jane Folger
Colleen L. Fraser
Andrew Garcia
Jeremy Glick
Lauren Grandcolas
Donald F. Greene
Linda Gronlund
Richard Guadagno
Toshiya Kuge
Hilda Marcin
Waleska Martinez
Nicole Miller
Louis J. Nacke II
Donald and Jean Peterson
Mark “Mickey” Rothenberg
Christine Snyder
John Talignani
Honor Elizabeth Wainio
Kristin Gould White

We will not name the hijackers. May they forever be dishonored.

It’s been 21 years. Many are still processing turning Afghanistan over to the Taliban just one year ago. It’s not going to get better.

There were 2996 immediate deaths on September 11th, 2001. There were people who cheered that day, celebrating an attack on America. I will never forget them. I will never forgive them. Two decades later, I see members of our government trivialize the events of that day, desecrating the dead with their comments. Two decades and America forgets its dead, abandoning its mission.

Regardless of which way the political winds blow, I remain a patriot. But in a greater sense, I will also always honor those from other nations who stood with us on that day and throughout the ensuing decades of conflict. After all, there were victims from 90 countries on 9/11. A sick ideology attacked the world and despite our efforts, it lives on, dug in like a tick.

The crisis remains. Every year we lose more and more to that fateful day. Victims and rescuers alike suffer life threatening medical conditions due to the exposure to toxins during the attacks and continue to succumb to these lingering wounds. As a country, we must stand by them.

Even now, the world is faced with the continued threat of Islamic fundamentalism that targets our ideals in both word and deed. We must oppose them in every case, lest our efforts thus far, be in vain.

Never Forgive, Never Forget

Later that day, at 1720 – 7 World Trade Center, a 47-story building, collapses.

1028 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses.

1003 – United Airlines Flight 93 is crashed by its hijackers as passengers try to retake the plane over Somerset County, Pennsylvania. There are no survivors.

0958 – The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses.

0945 – US Airspace is Shutdown