Page 76 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Summer 2014

Medical Operations of the
6th Ranger Infantry Battalion

John W. Downs, MD

ABSTRACT
The author gives a history of the formation of the 6th not have the same echelons of care and evacuation as
Ranger Infantry Battalion and varied aspects of Ranger those of a standard Army infantry battalion of the era.
medical operations, including personnel composition of This forced the Rangers to push medical care forward
the medical detachment, the work of the battalion’s sur- to assault elements and to adapt medical assets to suit
geon during combat and noncombat operations, medi- the mission. This article will discuss varied aspects of
cal aspects of operational planning, available medical Ranger medical operations including personnel com-
supplies, medical evacuation procedures, and preventive position of the medical detachment, the work of the
care. battalion’s surgeon during combat and noncombat op-
erations, medical aspects of operational planning, avail-
Keywords: 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion, medical opera- able medical supplies, medical evacuation procedures,
tions, World War II and preventive care.

Personnel
Introduction
The 6th Rangers had roughly the same allotment of
The 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion was formed 25 Sep- medical personnel assigned to the battalion aid station
tember 1944 from remaining manpower of the 98th Field as a conventional Regular Army infantry battalion of the
Artillery Battalion (Pack), a pack mule–drawn artillery period. The field manual for medical units of the Second
3
battalion that became virtually useless after their mules World War era states that two officers, one staff sergeant,
were reallocated to other U.S. Army units. The battal- one corporal, four litter chauffeurs, and one medical re-
1
ion’s birth can be attributed to the 6th U.S. Army com- cords private were assigned to a standard battalion aid
mander, General Walter Krueger, who was interested in station, a total of two officers and seven enlisted person-
the capabilities of small, highly trained units given very nel. One of these officers was the battalion surgeon. The
specific missions. As a result of his interest, combined other was an assistant to the surgeon. Although soldiers
with the success of Ranger units in the Mediterranean were not specifically listed in the battalion personnel re-
and European theaters, General Krueger called for the cords as medical personnel, the operations orders for the
4
formation of the 6th Army Special Reconnaissance Unit, Philippine invasion do mention that the aid station dur-
more commonly known as the Alamo Scouts, and later ing battalion level operations consisted of eight medical
the 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion. The 6th Ranger Bat- personnel, one “other aid man,” and one commanding
talion landed as an advanced landing force on Dinagat, officer of the aid station, the battalion surgeon, Captain
Suluan, and Homonhan Islands 3 days before the major James Fisher, MD. Personnel reports mention later a
5
invasion of Leyte Island in the Philippines in October battalion dental officer, First Lieutenant Sidney Miller,
1944. The battalion has best been remembered primar- who may have also served as the surgeon’s assistant in
2
ily for the successful liberation of over 500 American, some cases. This personnel composition of medical sup-
Australian, and British prisoners of war from a Japanese port was tailored regularly to adapt to the needs of the
prison camp in the Philippine city of Cabanatuan on 30 battalion as was done during the Cabanatuan raid, when
January 1945. This feat was more recently made famous only three rifle platoons from the battalion participated.
in the 2005 film “The Great Raid.” For this operation, only four aid men were taken in addi-
tion to the battalion surgeon. 6
Due to the nature of the operations in which the 6th
Rangers participated, operational medical support had Captain James Fisher, MD, served as battalion surgeon
to be tailored to the specific needs of the unit. As the and medical detachment officer in charge for most of the
Rangers were a separate command in the 6th Army existence of the 6th Ranger battalion. Prior to the war,
reporting only to the 6th Army staff, the Rangers did Dr. Fisher attended medical school at Harvard University

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