US Army Ranger - 1980s

Like others said, I think my 3D printed M67 RR in 1/35 may be the only game in town currently.

4 Likes

Interesting they used a USMC (maybe USN) 46 and not a USA 47 helo in the background. Maybe the artist didn’t know the difference. :man_shrugging:

1 Like

She is a beauty. Don’t let my bad phone photography skills distract you.


3 Likes

Is this book still available?

Just Cause is the first military operation I was old enough to remember hearing about on the news. I was alive for Grenada and Eagle Claw, but not old enough to remember them.

1 Like

There was a second campus at Grand Anse for St George’s medical school unknown to the planners. On Day 2, an improvised mission was flown using Marine CH-46s to carry Army Rangers to raid that campus and evacuate the students. Long story short, one of the CH-46s was disabled and abandoned on the beach LZ during the raid.

No Rangers flew in CH-47s in Grenada.

2 Likes

That Sea Knight was assigned to VMM-261 out of MCAS New River, NC; who were in attached to 2nd Marine Division. They flew Ops off the USS Guam.

Two Marine Cobras were also shot down, and the Army lost three Blackhawks that crashed during an insertion mission.

2 Likes

Yes, the Marine Cobras were shot down on the morning of the invasion. One Blackhawk from TF-160, as they were known at that time, was also shot down during that morning during an insertion of Delta. Another Blackhawk was shot up heavily during the same insertion and made an emergency landing aboard USS Guam offshore. Two more Blackhawks were lost a few days later (Oct.27?) during an air assault by 2nd Ranger Battalion on a barracks facility.

2 Likes

They were HMM at the time becoming VMM when going to the Osprey. No body was killed in the 46. The cobras guys were not so lucky as only 1 out the 4 survived. AGSE (now MWSS-374) had a mural dedicated to Major John “Pat” Guigerre and First Lieutenant Jeff Sharver at 29 Palms.

2 Likes

Yeah, the 46 had to land at the beach and everyone was evac’d from there.

Is hard to keep track of the designations of Marine aviation squadrons. :sweat_smile:

2 Likes

Yes, the beach was the LZ for insertion and extraction on that Op. CH-46s were used to land the ranger assault element, and CH-53s to extract the students and Rangers. A fire team of Rangers was left behind during the extraction. They took the life raft out of the 46 and used it to paddle out to sea where they were picked up by a USN vessel.

I believe that all the helos aboard a LPH or LHA during a float come under the command of a single squadron, HMM-261 in this case, even though they originate from different HML (UH-1/AH-1), HMM (CH-46), and HMH (CH-53) squadrons at home station.

3 Likes

Correct, it is typically the medium lift squadron. Then HMM or today’s VMM, all DET air assets get assigned to the single squadron. This includes Harriers (VMA) and if they do deploy on the smaller decks F-35B (VMFA).

HML (UH-1/AH-1) can also be that or HMLA.

3 Likes

Here’s one more Ranger Battalion photo I found in my stuff… had to be pre Regimental, but post Grenada as he has the old style battalion scrolls on both shoulders. Also note the M67 gunner humping it in the background.

3 Likes

You can see the M16A1 Carbine (Colt Model 653) was carried by Rangers back then.

2 Likes

Hey, Travis.

I just got the one that Petition2God has created and 3D printed. It is a pretty nice piece.

3 Likes

That last Ranger photo captures the essence of the 80’s Ranger perfectly.

2 Likes

2 Likes

MI: Man, sucks to be those guys.

1 Like

:+1:

I linked up with him. I’m going to pick up a few.

1 Like

I wanted to post a quick update. After thinking of the setting for the vignette and taking comments into account, I decided to go ahead and put camo on the face. I decided that the vignette will be the platoon leader and his RTO following a successful raid, therefore the camo applied before the mission is partially removed from sweat and wiping.

More to follow…

11 Likes

The figure is coming along beautifully Travis. That Large ALICE ruck looks excellent.

2 Likes