Ernst remembers Colonel Ralph Puckett

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) today spoke on the Senate floor to honor the life and legacy of her mentor and Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett after he passed away at the age of 97.

This week, following Ernst’s pleas, Colonel Puckett was fully honored in the Capitol Rotunda.

Click here to watch.

Ernst’s full comments:

“Normally, legends arise long after the individuals or events they commemorate have entered history.

However, the legend of Colonel Ralph Puckett had been with us for decades.

Ralph Puckett, Jr. was a giant of a man in his achievements, duties and passion.

He began his journey through storied history when he graduated from West Point in 1949 and was commissioned as an infantry officer.

After the outbreak of the Korean Conflict in 1950, Lieutenant Puckett volunteered to command the newly formed Eighth Army Ranger Company.

This newly minted lieutenant was tasked with turning non-infantry soldiers into combat-ready Rangers in just five and a half weeks.

And to no one’s surprise, he did it.

On November 25, 1950, the Rangers dismounted from their vehicles under heavy fire and secured Hill 205 from an attack by North Korean fighters, who were outnumbered nearly ten to one.

Lieutenant Puckett was instrumental in this effort.

He called for assistance in supporting artillery fire dangerously close to his position.

He deliberately exposed himself six times, allowing the enemy force to concentrate on him while his men were able to locate and kill the enemy.

Lieutenant Puckett was twice wounded in this battle.

But he refused to be evacuated, choosing instead to continue leading his men as they repelled five consecutive counterattacks.

It was not until the sixth counterattack, when supporting artillery fire was unavailable and in the face of almost certain death, that Lieutenant Puckett ordered his men to abandon him due to his wounds and the chaos surrounding the close-quarters fighting.

Rather than abandon their commander, two Rangers fought their way to Lieutenant Puckett and led him to safety.

For his actions he received the Distinguished Service Cross.

After the battle that nearly claimed Lieutenant Puckett’s life, he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for recovery.

There he met his future bride, Miss Jeannie Martin.

They would later marry on November 26, 1952, the second anniversary of the battle.

Rather than retire from military service, Lt. Puckett chose to serve as a combat arms officer at the U.S. Army Ranger School.

In 1967, Lieutenant Colonel Puckett volunteered for a tour of Vietnam, where he again led soldiers into battle, most notably during the Tet Offensive.

In 1971, after 22 years of service, Colonel Puckett retired from active duty.

But that was not the end of Colonel Puckett’s service.

When he and his family moved to Georgia in 1990, he spent much of his time speaking on base and teaching leadership courses.

He also participated in numerous field training exercises and visited soldiers serving around the world to pass on the leadership and life lessons he learned during his multiple combat tours.

Colonel Puckett’s influence extended to virtually every senior infantry officer and NCO who served at Fort Benning, now Fort Moore, or within the 75th Ranger Regiment for nearly two decades.

However, his mentorship was not limited to the men and women in the upper ranks; it resonated at all levels of the military.

Between his leadership during his active duty and his mentorship after retirement, Colonel Puckett influenced generations of service members, including myself.

I was fortunate to meet Colonel Puckett while working at Fort Moore in the 1990s.

When I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2004, Colonel Puckett, who had become a mentor, wrote to me with words of advice and motivation.

For a man of his stature and legacy to spend this time mentoring a young captain during his deployment is a small example of Colonel Puckett’s character and tireless dedication.

Rightly so, Colonel Puckett was one of the first members of the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

He would later become honorary colonel of the 75^e Ranger Regiment from 1996-2008.

And on May 21, 2021, Colonel Puckett’s Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor at a ceremony at the White House, which I was fortunate to attend.

Mr. President, Colonel Puckett lived a life of dedicated service to our nation.

His military awards include the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars with V device for valor and five Purple Hearts.

He also has the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with star, Special Forces Tab and Ranger Tab.

Colonel Puckett was a legend – a legend of a man, a legend of a soldier, a legend of a Ranger, a legend of a husband, father and grandfather, and a legend of a citizen who knew no bounds in serving his country .

After a literal lifetime of dedication and service to America, it is only fitting that we pay tribute to Colonel Puckett in the Capitol Rotunda to honor his sacrifices, and the sacrifices of the Silent Generation and the more than 5,700,000 men and women who served. in the United States Armed Forces during the ‘Forgotten War’.

This country is forever in your debt for answering the call to fight against tyranny and oppression in the Korean conflict.

Mr. President, I ask that we observe a moment of silence in memory of Colonel Puckett and the contributions he made both in and out of uniform, and to recognize the sacrifices his family made as Colonel Puckett’s duties took him taken away from home.

It has been a privilege and an honor to know such a person and to follow in the footsteps of giants who have come before, giants like Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr.

May he rest in peace.

Rangers show the way!”

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