Fort Bliss Monitor

Rangers induct 17 into hall of fame

Bridgett Siter
Special to The Monitor

FORT BENNING, Ga. – Seventeen people were inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame July 8, including the first American Soldier executed in Viet-nam, the man who introduced the Army to pugilstick training, the Japanese-American Soldier who discovered the Japanese were developing an atomic bomb, and one who never wore a uniform.

“Their stories are amazing, every one,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Emmett Hiltibrand, a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment Association, who has served on the Ranger Hall of Fame selection committee for the past four years.

“Every time, I say, ‘This is it. I’m not doing it anymore.’ When you have 21 or 22 or 23 packets of guys who are absolute heroes, it’s too hard to narrow it down,” he said. “But it’s an honor to see them get their due, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”

Every year since 1992, members of the various military units and associations, including the Merrill’s Marauders Association, the Ranger Training Brigade and the Ranger Regiment Association, consider a number of nominations and select three to submit to the selection board. For the most part, inductees are former Rangers who have been separated or retired from the service for at least three years. There are exceptions.

Take, for instance, Paul Vorhees, who became only the second honorary inductee in Hall of Fame history who has never actually served in the armed forces. Vorhees is best known for his contributions to the Army and Fort Benning through Ranger Joe’s, the supply store he started in Columbus with his father more than 40 years ago.

Vorhees, an ordained minister, has long been a major supporter of Fort Benning Soldiers and their families and a major financial contributor to the annual Best Ranger Competition. In 2003, he traveled to Iraq at his own expense to visit the troops.

Staff Sgt. Harold Bennett’s oldest sister and youngest brother attended the ceremony. The Communist National Liberation Front claimed Bennett’s execution in 1965 was a retaliatory move against the South Vietnamese government. More than likely, his brother said, Bennett was killed because he couldn’t be beaten down.

“He was a man of faith, and when he believed something, he didn’t back down. He gave them a real hard time,” said Dick, the youngest of nine Bennett children.

All four boys joined the military and all five girls married servicemen. Dick, who emulated his older brother, joined the Rangers and served twice in Vietnam.

“We were an Army family, but (Harold) was a Soldier’s Soldier,” he said.

Indeed, the elder Bennett volunteered on Christmas Day 1964 to lead a seven-man Ranger expedition to rescue American captives. Four days later, Bennett was captured.

He quickly developed a reputation as a troublemaker, berating his guards and refusing to cooperate. He tried three times to escape.

“The enemy could not break him,” Bennett’s biography read.

Retired Lt. Col. Christopher Gooch often put his career before his family. He admitted as much and tried to make amends before his death a decade ago. The eight family members who attended the Hall of Fame ceremony bore no grudges.

“He put his life’s blood into the Rangers. He loved it,” Maj. Damon Gooch said of his father, the man for whom Camp Darby was once called “Gooch’s Gulch.” There he designed and developed the Darby Queen confidence course.

Gooch was also responsible for much of the development of the Ranger’s Camp Merrill in the North Georgia mountains, and he introduced pugilstick training while serving as chief of the Combat Conditioning Committee at Fort Benning.

“He never told us all he did. He never talked about it,” his son said. “His work is seen everywhere, but he tried to stay behind the scenes. He gave all the credit to the Rangers.”

Tech. Sgt. Grant Hirabayashi enlisted as a military intelligence specialist with Merrill’s Marauders before Pearl Harbor, when Japanese-Americans were suspect in the eyes of the American government. His family was forced from their home in Washington into a relocation center in Missouri.

Still, Hirabayashi volunteered for hazardous duty and intercepted and interpreted Japanese orders, making it possible for the Marauders to anticipate enemy activity and tactics. It was Hirabayashi who learned of plans for an atomic bomb while interrogating Japanese prisoners.

Hirabayashi is only the third Japanese-American to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a roster that numbers nearly 200 and includes the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Robert Rogers and Nathan Hale.

“There’s a legacy in this room that just won’t quit,” said retired Gen. Carl Stiner, himself an inductee.
“It’s humbling,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. George Horvath. “I look around and I wonder, ‘Do I measure up?’”



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	July 15, 2004

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Rangers induct 17 into hall of fame Bridgett Siter Special to The Monitor FORT BENNING, Ga. – Seventeen people were inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame July 8, including the first American Soldier executed in Viet-nam, the man who introduced the Army to pugilstick training, the Japanese-American Soldier who discovered the Japanese were developing an atomic bomb, and one who never wore a uniform. “Their stories are amazing, every one,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Emmett Hiltibrand, a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment Association, who has served on the Ranger Hall of Fame selection committee for the past four years. “Every time, I say, ‘This is it. I’m not doing it anymore.’ When you have 21 or 22 or 23 packets of guys who are absolute heroes, it’s too hard to narrow it down,” he said. “But it’s an honor to see them get their due, and that’s what keeps me coming back.” Every year since 1992, members of the various military units and associations, including the Merrill’s Marauders Association, the Ranger Training Brigade and the Ranger Regiment Association, consider a number of nominations and select three to submit to the selection board. For the most part, inductees are former Rangers who have been separated or retired from the service for at least three years. There are exceptions. Take, for instance, Paul Vorhees, who became only the second honorary inductee in Hall of Fame history who has never actually served in the armed forces. Vorhees is best known for his contributions to the Army and Fort Benning through Ranger Joe’s, the supply store he started in Columbus with his father more than 40 years ago. Vorhees, an ordained minister, has long been a major supporter of Fort Benning Soldiers and their families and a major financial contributor to the annual Best Ranger Competition. In 2003, he traveled to Iraq at his own expense to visit the troops. Staff Sgt. Harold Bennett’s oldest sister and youngest brother attended the ceremony. The Communist National Liberation Front claimed Bennett’s execution in 1965 was a retaliatory move against the South Vietnamese government. More than likely, his brother said, Bennett was killed because he couldn’t be beaten down. “He was a man of faith, and when he believed something, he didn’t back down. He gave them a real hard time,” said Dick, the youngest of nine Bennett children. All four boys joined the military and all five girls married servicemen. Dick, who emulated his older brother, joined the Rangers and served twice in Vietnam. “We were an Army family, but (Harold) was a Soldier’s Soldier,” he said. Indeed, the elder Bennett volunteered on Christmas Day 1964 to lead a seven-man Ranger expedition to rescue American captives. Four days later, Bennett was captured. He quickly developed a reputation as a troublemaker, berating his guards and refusing to cooperate. He tried three times to escape. “The enemy could not break him,” Bennett’s biography read. Retired Lt. Col. Christopher Gooch often put his career before his family. He admitted as much and tried to make amends before his death a decade ago. The eight family members who attended the Hall of Fame ceremony bore no grudges. “He put his life’s blood into the Rangers. He loved it,” Maj. Damon Gooch said of his father, the man for whom Camp Darby was once called “Gooch’s Gulch.” There he designed and developed the Darby Queen confidence course. Gooch was also responsible for much of the development of the Ranger’s Camp Merrill in the North Georgia mountains, and he introduced pugilstick training while serving as chief of the Combat Conditioning Committee at Fort Benning. “He never told us all he did. He never talked about it,” his son said. “His work is seen everywhere, but he tried to stay behind the scenes. He gave all the credit to the Rangers.” Tech. Sgt. Grant Hirabayashi enlisted as a military intelligence specialist with Merrill’s Marauders before Pearl Harbor, when Japanese-Americans were suspect in the eyes of the American government. His family was forced from their home in Washington into a relocation center in Missouri. Still, Hirabayashi volunteered for hazardous duty and intercepted and interpreted Japanese orders, making it possible for the Marauders to anticipate enemy activity and tactics. It was Hirabayashi who learned of plans for an atomic bomb while interrogating Japanese prisoners. Hirabayashi is only the third Japanese-American to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a roster that numbers nearly 200 and includes the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Robert Rogers and Nathan Hale. “There’s a legacy in this room that just won’t quit,” said retired Gen. Carl Stiner, himself an inductee. “It’s humbling,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. George Horvath. “I look around and I wonder, ‘Do I measure up?’”