The narrative that follows this introduction, is a true account of the activation, training and unforgettable operations of the Fifth Ranger Battalion, prepared for the men of the battalion as a never-to- be-forgotten record of one small unit of a great fighting force that brought the defeat of the greatest military power in all history, -- Nazi Germany.

       For the men of the Fifth Rangers, all facts brought forth in this introduction, are imbedded in the thoughts and very hearts of all Rangers, but it is for their friends and relatives who will undoubtedly be reading this history, that the writer believes it necessary to present a picture of the type of men and type of organization that made up the Fifth Rangers, and made the heroic feats and miraculous accomplishments of this battalion possible.

       Contrary to the beliefs of the uninformed, the Rangers was not made up of former convicts, super- athletes or general "tough guys". Men of the Rangers were average men, but with above average spirit, -- every man a volunteer for an outfit that he knew would be assigned the more dangerous, more difficult, assignments of this war. For that reason, the "espirit de corps" of the Rangers had always far surpassed that of other organizations, and the spirit of cooperation and coordination was never absent from any assignment, no matter how difficult or seemingly impossible the task. This spirit was furthered by the leadership of the officers, -- the Battalion and Company Commanders, always in front of their attacking troops, setting an example for men who really needed no example.