In the Revolutionary War, George Washington selected 120 mounted men, called "Rangers," to meet the enemy at Harlem Heights. That term for tough, elite U.S. troops persisted through the War of 1812. Then it fell into disuse in the federal service, although Texas and some other states had constabulary troops called Rangers. During World War II, the U.S. Army did not adopt the British term "commando," and again called its special troops Rangers. They moved dangerously behind enemy lines, compiled a heroic record.
Last fall, after enemy infiltraters began doing serious damage in Korea, new units of Rangers were hurriedly organized and...