Background
Ranney was born in Kensal, North Dakota to Russell and Lucy Ranney as their only child.
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Myron Sergeant
Edit ProfileEducation
Ranney attended the University of North Dakota before the Attack on Pearl Harbor took place.
Career
Ranney was portrayed in the Home Box Office miniseries Band of Brothers by Stephen Graham. Ranney"s life story was featured in the 2010 book Ranney enlisted and volunteered for paratroopers. He was sent to Toccoa, Georgia and was assigned to Easy Company, led by Captain Herbert Sobel.
Ranney was one of the 140 original Toccoa men of Easy Company.
Ranney was quickly made one of the staff sergeants of the unit Ranney and Terrence "Salty" Harris were the two NCOs to start the mutiny against Captain Sobel.
They convinced other NCOs to join and the participating NCOs threatened to resign their posts unless Sobel was removed. The next day, Ranney was arrested by Military Police.
Colonel Sink busted both Harris and Ranney to ranks of Private.
Ranney was transferred to Item Company of the Third Battalion and Harris was going to be a Pathfinder in Able company but he was transferred back to Easy Company on 1 June 1944. Ranney made his first combat jump into Normandy on Doctorate-Day. He linked up with Easy Company men William Guarnere, Donald Malarkey, Lynn Compton and Robert "Popeye" Wynn upon landing, and later found Lieutenant Winters.
Ranney participated in the Brécourt Manor Assault, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions.
Richard Winters, who led the assault, considered Ranney as one of the "Easy Company"s killers" who "instinctively understood the intricacies of battle". Ranney was promoted back to Sergeant after the battle in France.
Ranney jumped into the Netherlands on 17 September 1944 for Operation Market Garden. On 2 October 1944, he accidentally shot himself with a pistol that he just cleaned, and was evacuated to England later.
Ranney was sent back to the States on 1 December 1944.
He was officially discharged on 24 April 1945. Ranney returned to the University of North Dakota and switched to a journalism major. The couple divorced in 1971, remarried 4 years later but divorced again after 2 years.
Ranney worked as a journalist for various newspapers.
He also engaged in the field of public relations, but returned to journalism for the final years of his career. Beginning in 1946, Ranney, Bob Rader and Walter "Smokey" Gordon, started Easy Company reunions.
Ranney was the principal organizer of the initial reunions. The Famous Quote: The quote was written by Ranney in a letter he wrote to Richard Doctorate. Winters on 25 January 1982.
Ranney died on 22 September 1988 of a heart attack.
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Born
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Died
September 22, 1988 (aged 65) -
Nationality
United States