John C. Raaen Jr.

Last updated

John Carpenter Raaen Jr.
John C. Raaen, Jr.jpeg
Raaen as a Major General
Born(1922-04-22)April 22, 1922
Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Years of service1943–1979
Rank US-O8 insignia.svg Major General
Service number O-25486
UnitHQ Company, 5th Ranger Battalion
Ordnance Corps
Battles/wars World War II
Vietnam War
Awards Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star

John Carpenter Raaen Jr. (born April 22, 1922) is a retired Major General of the United States Army known primarily for his service with the 5th Ranger Battalion during World War II..

Contents

Early life and education

John Carpenter Raaen Jr. was born on April 22, 1922, at Fort Benning, Georgia (U.S. state). Growing up in a family with a military background, he decided to pursue a career in the armed forces. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1943 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the army. [1]

Military career

Raaen’s notable military career began with the 5th Ranger Battalion during World War II. As a Captain, he was involved in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. His role during these operations earned him the Silver Star. [2] On D-Day + one and two, Raaen helped relieve James Earl Rudder and the men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Pointe du Hoc. He was severely wounded in December of 1944 and evacuated.

Following World War II, Raaen held various command and staff positions. His service included roles in the Pentagon, multiple overseas deployments, and participation in the Vietnam War. His career was recognized with many honors.

Later life

After retiring in 1979 with the rank of Major General, Raaen continued to be involved with military associations and shared his experiences with others. [1]

Awards and decorations

Major General Raaen's awards and decorations include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Robert Aaron</span> United States Army general (1921–1980)

Harold Robert Aaron was a lieutenant general in the United States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Ranger Battalion</span> Military unit

The 2nd Ranger Battalion, currently based at Joint Base Lewis–McChord south of Seattle, Washington, United States, is the second of three ranger battalions belonging to the United States Army's 75th Ranger Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John K. Singlaub</span> American major general in United States Army (1921–2022)

Major General John Kirk Singlaub was a major general in the United States Army, founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and a highly decorated officer in the former Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Thomas Corley</span> United States Army general

Brigadier General John Thomas Corley was a career United States Army officer who served with distinction in World War II. He was also noted for his contributions to army training.

Walter James Sabalauski was a United States Army command sergeant major and boxer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William H. Brandenburg</span> United States general (died 2024)

William H. Brandenburg Jr. was a major general in the United States Army. He last served as deputy commanding general, U.S. Army, Pacific, August 8, 2003. Prior to his last assignment, he was deputy commanding general for training and readiness, I Corps and Fort Lewis. From November 29, 2004, until December 1, 2005, he deployed to Iraq as deputy commanding general and commanding general, Task Force 134.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert B. Nett</span>

Robert Burton Nett was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the campaign to recapture the Philippines in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army and has traditionally been a part of the 1st Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick F. Woerner Jr.</span> United States Army general (1933–2023)

Frederick Frank Woerner Jr. was a four-star general of the United States Army, Commander-in-Chief of United States Southern Command, Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, and professor at Boston University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur E. Brown Jr.</span> United States Army general (born 1929)

Arthur Edmon Brown Jr. is a retired four-star general of the United States Army who served as Vice Chief of Staff (VCSA) from 1987 to 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hector E. Pagan</span> United States Army officer

Brigadier General Hector E. Pagan is a United States Army officer who is the first Hispanic of Puerto Rican descent to become Deputy Commanding General of the U.S.Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Lee Lanning</span> United States Army officer and author (born 1946)

Michael Lee Lanning is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and the author of military non-fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Barno</span> United States Army general

David William Barno is a retired lieutenant general of the United States Army. He was commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005.

Major General Michael D. Healy was a general officer in the United States Army who spent 35 years serving in the military, completing tours in Korea and Vietnam. Healy began his career with parachute training in Japan, then attended a number of Army Colleges, including Ranger School. He entered the Korean War as a Company Commander with the Airborne Rangers, a newly formed unit of the Army. Most of his career was spent in Vietnam, where he served five and a half tours, leading the 5th Special Forces Group for almost 20 months, and earning him his first Distinguished Service Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus Vargas (general)</span> Filipino military official (1905–1994)

Lieutenant General Jesus Miranda Vargas served as Secretary of National Defense and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In his later years, he was the Secretary-General of Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) which was based in Bangkok, Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Baker (general)</span> United States Army general

Ralph Otto "Rob" Baker Jr. is a retired United States Army Brigadier General who was formerly a major general and commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose Rodela</span>

Jose Rodela is a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen M. Burdett Jr.</span> United States Army officer

Allen Mitchell Burdett Jr. was a United States Army lieutenant general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James H. Johnson Jr.</span> US Army general (1937-2023)

James Houston Johnson Jr. was a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. He had over 33 years of active military service, culminating as Commanding General of the First United States Army, responsible for 325,000 soldiers, from 1991 to 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederic J. Brown III</span> U.S. Army lieutenant general]

Frederic J. Brown III is a retired United States Army officer. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he attained the rank of lieutenant general and was a recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal (2), Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and multiple awards of the Bronze Star Medal. Brown is best known for his service as Chief of Armor and Cavalry from 1983 to 1986 and command of Fourth United States Army from 1986 to 1989.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.