Rangers in Combat: A Legacy of Valor

For more than 200 years, U.S. Army Rangers have fought suicidal combat missions against overwhelming odds-earning their unrivaled reputation as the world's premier close- combat warriors. In Rangers in Combat, Lieutenant Colonel J. D. Lock vividly brings to life the horrific battles and the heroic exploits of a special breed of men for whom "valor, honor, and country" mean more than life itself.

Take a stand with Robert Rogers and his outnumbered Rangers during the French and Indian War. Ride with Mosby on the Soughton Raid in the Civil War. In World War II, spearhead Patton's invasion of Sicily beside the legendary William O. Darby, suicidally climb the cliffs of Pointe-du-Hoc with James Earl Rudder, or storm "bloody Omaha" with Max Schneider. Stand outnumbered deep in North Korea while defending Hill 205 against overwhelming hordes of Communist Chinese. And high atop a mountain in Afghanistan, fight your way out of a savage al Qaeda terrorist ambush.

From the snowy forests of Upstate New York and the swamps of South Carolina, to the humid streets of Mogadishu and the snowy mountain peaks of Afghanistan, read accounts of and lessons learned from some of the most courageous, daring, and vicious ground combat in the annals of U.S. military history. Enter the combat zone with elite warriors who have helped to change the course of history.

J. D. (John) Lock is a 1982 graduate and former assistant professor of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel in May 2002. He enlisted in the Army as a private in 1974 and served as a noncommissioned officer until 1978.

In addition to Rangers in Combat: A Legacy of Valor, Lock is the author of The Coveted Black and Gold: A Daily Journey Through the U.S. Army Ranger School Experience and Chain of Destiny.

Lock currently works in support of architectural development, modeling, and simulation for the U.S. Army’s Current Force and the Army’s transformation to the Future Force, in addition to serving as a consultant in support of the Army Science Board and the Army’s National Guard and Reserve senior mentor program.