Ralph Puckett

Ralph Puckett Jr. (December 8, 1926 – April 8, 2024) was a United States Army officer. He led the Eighth Army Ranger Company during the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on November 25, 1950, when his company of 51 Rangers was attacked by several hundred Chinese soldiers at the battle for Hill 205. He later served in the Vietnam War and retired from the army in 1971 as a colonel. After being appointed on July 19, 1996, he served as the Honorary Colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

In April 2021, Puckett's Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on November 25, 1950, was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. He received the award from President Joe Biden during a ceremony at the White House on May 21, 2021. Until his death in 2024, Puckett was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War, until navy pilot Royce Williams received the award in February 2026.

Early life

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 Puckett being awarded the Medal of Honor by President Joe Biden in 2021. alt=A light blue neck ribbon with a gold star-shaped medallion hanging from it. The ribbon is similar in shape to a bowtie with 13 white stars in the center of the ribbon.

Other awards Order of Saint Maurice (Primicerius)

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.