On this day in history, June 19th, 1942, 1st Ranger Battalion was officially activated under the command of the legendary William O. Darby. 50 men selected from thousands of applicants were awarded their tabs. I remember watching an interview of one of Darby's Rangers, and he recalls his personal interview with Darby before he was accepted to commando training. According to him, he was asked to be seated at a table in a room. Darby walked in, asked him if he trusted him, then asked him to put his hand on the table if the candidate responded affirmatively. He drew a knife and slammed it down, burying it into the table millimeters from the future Ranger's hand. That was highly indicative of the qualities Darby looked for in his men. He wanted soldiers who would be cool under fire, less prone to "heroic" antics and men who'd be willing to trust their fellow Rangers completely. The Rangers have gone on since then to become on of the most capable and well-known SOF units in the world.
Truly legendary.
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