Ralph Puckett

Puckett was born on December 8, 1926, in Tifton, Georgia. In 1943, he became an Eagle Scout. ==Military career==

Puckett enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps Enlisted Reserve in 1943 to become a pilot, undertaking his pre-aviation cadet training at Georgia Tech. However, with a glut of trained pilots, the program was disbanded. Puckett tried to remain in service with the Air Corps, but after it became clear there would be no chance at flight training, he chose to be discharged. He obtained an appointment to the United States Military Academy in July 1945. In 1949, Puckett graduated from the United States Military Academy (where he captained the Army Boxing Team), was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant, deployed to Japan, and immediately volunteered to be assigned with the Rangers. When he was informed that there were no more lieutenant positions in the Eighth Army Ranger Company, he said that he would "take a squad leader's or rifleman's job"; positions several grades lower than a lieutenant's. Colonel McGee, who was in charge of forming the company, was so impressed by Puckett's attitude that he gave him the company commander's position; a position normally reserved for captains. On October 11, 1950, the Eighth Army Ranger Company entered the Korean War, conducting raids during both daylight and night time conditions. Hill 205 On November 25, 1950, Puckett and his company captured Hill 205, a strategic point overlooking the Chongchon River, as part of the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River. Puckett led the Rangers during the attack, shouted words of encouragement and got supporting fire from the closest tank. When a platoon was pinned down, he ran across an open area three times to draw enemy fire, which allowed the Rangers to locate and destroy the enemy positions and to seize Hill 205. After capturing the hill, the Ranger company was over a mile from the nearest friendly unit. Puckett coordinated artillery support prior to the Chinese counterattack. ==Retirement==

Puckett retired in 1971 after 22 years of active duty to become the national programs coordinator of Outward Bound, Inc. After several years of successful leadership at Discovery, Inc. in Herndon, Virginia, Puckett moved to Atlanta and began the Discovery Program at The Westminster Schools. In 1984, he became the executive vice-president of MicroBilt, Inc., a soft- and hardware computer company. Puckett was an inaugural inductee into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 1992. He served as the Honorary Colonel for the 75th Ranger Regiment from 1996 to 2006 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. He often spoke at graduations and other functions at Fort Benning and was an Honorary Instructor at The Infantry School. He was inducted into the Order of St. Maurice in 1997, and was the 1998 Ranger of the Year for the Ranger Infantry Companies of the Korean War. He was inducted into the USAF Gathering of Eagles in 1999. He was added to the Tifton, Georgia, Wall of Fame in 2004. Other honors include appointment as an Ambassador of Goodwill by the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, selection as a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Military Academy in 2004, and selection as the Infantry's Doughboy Award recipient in 2007. and numerous media articles. ==Personal life and death==

Puckett and his wife had two daughters and a son, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. One of his daughters preceded him in death. ==Awards and decorations==

Medal of Honor citation by President Joe Biden in 2021. {{Blockquote|text=OFFICIAL CITATION The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor to FIRST LIEUTENANT RALPH PUCKETT, JR. UNITED STATES ARMY for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. First Lieutenant Ralph Puckett, Jr., distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the commander 8th U.S. Army Ranger Company during the period of 25 November, 1950, through 26 November, 1950, in Korea. As his unit commenced a daylight attack on Hill 205, the enemy directed mortar, machine gun, and small-arms fire against the advancing force. To obtain fire, First Lieutenant Puckett mounted the closest tank, exposing himself to the deadly enemy fire. Leaping from the tank, he shouted words of encouragement to his men and began to lead the Rangers in the attack. Almost immediately, enemy fire threatened the success of the attack by pinning down one platoon. Leaving the safety of his position, with full knowledge of the danger, First Lieutenant Puckett intentionally ran across an open area three times to draw enemy fire, thereby allowing the Rangers to locate and destroy the enemy positions and to seize Hill 205. During the night, the enemy launched a counterattack that lasted four hours. Over the course of the counterattack, the Rangers were inspired and motivated by the extraordinary leadership and courageous example exhibited by First Lieutenant Puckett. As a result, five human-wave attacks by a battalion-strength enemy — enemy element were repulsed. During the first attack, First Lieutenant Puckett was wounded by grenade fragments, but refused evacuation and continually directed artillery support that decimated attacking enemy formations. He repeatedly abandoned positions of relative safety to make his way from foxhole to foxhole, to check the company’s perimeter and to distribute ammunition amongst the Rangers. When the enemy launched a sixth attack, it became clear to First Lieutenant Puckett that the position was untenable due to the unavailability of supporting artillery fire. During this attack, two enemy mortar rounds landed in his foxhole, inflicting grievous wounds, which limited his mobility. Knowing his men were in a precarious situation, First Lieutenant Puckett commanded the Rangers to leave him behind and evacuate the area. Feeling a sense of duty to aid him, the Rangers refused the order and staged an effort to retrieve him from the foxhole while still under fire from the enemy. Ultimately, the Rangers succeeded in retrieving First Lieutenant Puckett and they moved to the bottom of the hill, where First Lieutenant Puckett called for devastating artillery fire on the top of the enemy-controlled hill. First Lieutenant Puckett’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Other awards • Order of Saint Maurice (Primicerius) • South Korean Order of Military Merit, Taegeuk (2023) • Colombian Lancero Ranger Badge Legacy • Colonel Ralph Puckett Parkway, a stretch of First Division and Dixie roads running from the end of I-185 to Sightseeing Road on Fort Benning, was dedicated on June 8, 2012. • Colonel Puckett is the namesake of the Colonel Ralph Puckett Leadership Award series. ::The first award is a competition to identify a junior officer in the Ranger Regiment who sticks out amongst his peers for his take-charge attitude. The contest extends over three days and nights and consists of several different physical fitness tests, weapons firing, military skills, essay preparation, and appearance before a board of officers and senior non-commissioned officers. The winner of the award is considered by the Regiment as the entry in the Army-wide MacArthur Award competition. ::The second award is presented to the Officer Honor Graduate at the U.S. Army Ranger Course. The recipient of this award performs successfully in each leadership position, completes the demanding Ranger Course without repeating any phase, and was acclaimed by his peers. ::The third award is presented to an officer in the Maneuver Captains Career Course who displayed exceptional leadership and exhibits exemplary physical condition, consistent high academic standing, and served in a leadership position. • On November 25, 2025, a statue was unveiled on Hurley Hill at Fort Benning. The seven-foot-tall, bronze statue prominently overlooks an area where newly qualified Rangers, and their families, will pass and remember who he was and the Ranger legacy he represents. Puckett preferred this relatively remote location because he often frequented that location to inspire new trainees at the beginning of each Ranger Course. • Another statue, depicting Puckett as a young lieutenant during the Korean War, is located at the National Infantry Museum’s Korean War Memorial. ==References==