The Coveted Black and Gold

Reading this book opened all the floodgates of memory of my own Ranger School class in the winter of 1970. I had forgotten so much of the physical punishment, of one C-ration a day while climbing the mountains and wading the swamps, of teeth-shattering snow and icy swamp water, of halucinating and sleeping on my feet, of dropping to 125 pounds on a 5-foot 10-inch frame. And more than the physical, there was the emotional and the mental toll. Heartbreakingly exhausting past exhaustion. There were times when the book invoked such vivid memories of misery that I really wanted to just put it down and walk away for awhile. What an outstanding book! I'm amazed that the author was able to pull off keeping the journal and his small Kodak cartridge camera through all the Ranger instructor equipment shake-down inspections. I'm also amazed at the consistency of his experiences and mine. People have asked me through the years, "What was Ranger School like?" I never could begin to find any words to do the experience justice. How do I describe the indescribable? Now, however, J.D. Lock has done just that. The next time I'm asked, I'll just hand them the book and answer, "Here. Read." Every Ranger or family of a Ranger should have this book. Rangers Lead The Way, Sir!

I have a whole library of of this type book , since I was in the Airbourn-Rangers 1951-1954.

This book is amazing because it contains his day to day activities. I, too, want to become a Ranger and I've done lots of research about them, but I must admit that I didn't always know what he was talking about, I did understand the hardship and I could picture myself going through what he did, it makes me think that I have no chance of making it through. I found that I would try to picture myself in his shoes, seeing what I would have done in his situation, or keep in mind on the tips he talks about to maintain weight, etc. It kinda gives you a heads up on what kind of mental preparation you need to have. It seemed that this course was EXTREMELY difficult physically, however mentally preparing oneself was the message I was getting from the book. I also liked all the little trivia he put in the book at the end, telling you who was eligible to go to Ranger training, and the meaning of hooah. hahahaha. Although i wish he explained things more in detail, i understand why that wasn't possible. I just hope i can prepare myself enough to take on the crap they dish out at you.

Reading this book opened all the floodgates of memory of my own Ranger School class in the winter of 1970. I had forgotten so much of the physical punishment, of one C-ration a day while climbing the mountains and wading the swamps, of teeth-shattering snow and icy swamp water, of halucinating and sleeping on my feet, of dropping to 125 pounds on a 5-foot 10-inch frame. And more than the physical, there was the emotional and the mental toll. Heartbreakingly exhausting past exhaustion. There were times when the book invoked such vivid memories of misery that I really wanted to just put it down and walk away for awhile. What an outstanding book! I'm amazed that the author was able to pull off keeping the journal and his small Kodak cartridge camera through all the Ranger instructor equipment shake-down inspections. I'm also amazed at the consistency of his experiences and mine. People have asked me through the years, "What was Ranger School like?" I never could begin to find any words to do the experience justice. How do I describe the indescribable? Now, however, J.D. Lock has done just that. The next time I'm asked, I'll just hand them the book and answer, "Here. Read." Every Ranger or family of a Ranger should have this book. Rangers Lead The Way, Sir!

This book is extremely valuable for its day-to-day description of life at Ranger School, to give aspiring Rangers an idea of what's in store when they tackle the nine-week course.And for someone who completed Ranger School just a few years before the author, it was a stunning trip backward in time. The passage of almost three decades had blurred my memories substantially, but Lock's account resurrected a significant number of them -- little things that added so much richness to the course yet faded immediately upon graduation, plus some monstrous things that one's mind tends to dilute on purpose. It's all here: The kinetic, frenetic action of the first phase, the physical training, the long runs, the hand-to-hand combat sessions (along with taking a dive during the competitive portion, to avoid injury), the mess hall experience, chin-ups before every meal, reporting to the Tacs at every meal, low-crawling on that rocky road in the company area, the swelling unpleasance of Camp Darby, where night operations began the sleep deprivation process. The descripion of the Mountain Phase is equally vivid, the terrible patrols up and down horrendous, 60-degree slopes in the dead of night, with fallen trees blocking the way, the fatigue really starting to take its toll now -- Lock's account brought it all back... the rain, the sleep-starvation, the hunger, and even a photo of those little Mountain huts I thought I'd never see again.Lock noted something I considered significant at the time, an excellent example of the Ranger Department's psychological choreography. At the end of the Mountain Phase, classes were roused early (0300) to make the return bus trip to Fort Benning from Camp Merrill. Some students were feeling great after the Mountains, having passed all of their graded patrols; others, like me, were one up and two down -- on the brink of failing the course. As the busses entered the Benning Ranger area later that morning, we saw the previous class standing on the old airstrip behind the City Team barracks, enjoying its graduation ceremony. Students who were doing well (such as Lock) were jubilant and inspired; students who were faltering (like me) experienced a massive wave of depression.Lock's account of the Florida phase was terrific... cold, wet, exhausted and starving. I had forgotten how we surreptitiously obsessed over food, frequently murmuring about the things we would eat after we finished the course... fried chicken, cherry pie, gosh, hamburgers!The last days of slogging through the swamps, the RELIEF when it was all finally over, the brevity of the double-time graduation ceremony (during my own, we saw the busses from the next class pass before us; more Ranger excellence in timing and execution!) -- it's all here. Lock's constant use of vernacular was appropriate, reflecting how Ranger students, soon completely immersed in the training, communicate with one another. You'll pick it up, after a few pages. This is a super little