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| Ranes, left, shows Jackie Tyler how to load a mortar round. |
by Matt Hughes
J-E News Editor
On Halloween, Sebree resident Shirley Ranes celebrated two anniversaries. It marked the sixtieth anniversary of his discharge from the United States Army, and the sixty-first anniversary of the day he entered combat in Korea.
“I was drafted on January 1, 1952,” Ranes said. He went through basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC, qualifying in heavy weapons.
After an eight week furlough, Ranes was moved to Chicago, then to California and finally on to Japan, where he spent three weeks training with the 24th Division of the US Army.
“After training in Japan I was transferred to Korea,” he said. “I landed on Halloween of 1952. That year I spent my very first Christmas away from home.”
As luck would have it, Ranes did not spend Christmas entirely alone. His mother had spoken with the mother of another young Sebree area resident and learned that her son was also in Korea, as part of a tank battalion.
Ranes said one day after returning from getting the mail he encountered a truck coming from a tank unit that had been stationed near his own unit. In the back of the truck was Jackie Tyler, the young man his mother had told him about.
“We spent the Christmas of 1952 together,” he said. “That was a big deal. Finding someone I recognized from home right there in Korea.”
Ranes spent nine months in country as a mortar operator for the 2nd Division. His weapon was the M2 4.2 inch mortar which first entered service in 1943. The M2 could fire a shell up to 4,500 yards.
“We would fire over mountains,” he recalled. “A fire director on top of a hill would send down coordinates for a target on the other side of the hill.”
Unlike most infantry men, who would be firing at targets they could at least partially see, Ranes and his fellow mortar men were exchanging fire with an unseen enemy.
“We were shooting at what we couldn’t see. And they were shooting back when they couldn’t see us.”
Ranes was pulled out of Korea in May of 1953 on an emergency order. At the time his brother was sick and expected to die.
“The Sargent came to me and told me to get my stuff, I was going home,” Ranes said. “I had no idea what was going on. I almost went into shock. I later learned that the doctors had told my dad that my brother was not going to make it. He had blood clots in his legs.”
He served the remainder of his time in the military at Fort Knox, KY.
On Oct. 31, 1953, one year after landing in Korea, he received his official honorable discharge from the United States Army.
“I was glad to get out,” he recalled. “Every soldier was. I was in combat and was never injured. I was very thankful to be back home.”
The Korean War lasted from June 25, 1950 until July 27, 1953. The U.S. provided 88 percent (326,863) of the 341,000 international soldiers which aided the South Korean forces.
36,516 Americans were killed during the war, with an additional 92,134 wounded. 4,759 were listed as missing in action.
“Now that it’s over, I’m glad that I went,” said Ranes.
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