FORT BENNING, Ga., (July 20, 2016) -- Fifteen retired Rangers were inducted into the 2016 Ranger Hall of Fame class, and one retired Soldier was recognized as an honorary inductee, during a ceremony held July 14 in Marshall Auditorium.
The Rangers inducted into the Hall of Fame were retired Brig. Gen. William Bond, Command Sgt. Maj. David Dalton, Command Sgt. Maj. James Gibson, Col. Glenn Hale, Sgt. Maj. Ronald Hart, Gen. P.K. Ken Keen, Sgt. Gary Linderer, Capt. Stephen Maguire, Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger, Master Sgt. Jesus Moncada, Staff Sgt. Robert Passanisi, Staff Sgt. Raymond Schuder, Command Sgt. Maj. Tommy Shook, Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Snow and Lt. Col. James Tucker.
Retired Col. Robert Poydasheff, a former mayor of Columbus, was inducted as an honorary member of the Hall of Fame.
Each inductee was given a bronze Ranger Hall of Fame medallion.
"We are proud to have a whole bunch of Rangers here," said retired Ranger Col. Robert "Tex" Turner, the guest speaker for the ceremony. "I am very proud and very honored just to get to talk to them."
Turner shared some personal anecdotes about a few of the Rangers he knew, including Maguire and Tucker.
"I wish I could say a lot more about each and every one of you, but I don't know you all that well. I'll get to know you though, I promise," said Turner.
Each inductee was invited to speak after receiving their medals.
One of the inductees, Hale, explained his first experience with the Ranger creed.
"When I looked at the Ranger creed for the first time I was shocked. Everything it said, I believed in," said Hale. "There are three particular phrases in there that caught my attention right away and that is: I'll never fail my comrades, I'll never leave a fallen comrade and I will complete the mission."
Hale explained that those three phrases are the most important out of the entire Ranger creed.
"It is why Rangers are respected around the world and why Rangers are feared around the world," said Hale. "It is a great honor to serve in a regiment and a great honor to be included with these men in the pantheon of American warriors."
To be inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, Rangers must be deceased or have been separated or retired from active military service for at least three years. Inductees must have served in a Ranger unit in combat or be a successful graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger course.
Honorary inductees must have made a considerable contribution to Ranger units, the Ranger foundation or the Ranger community, but do not meet the normal criteria for induction.
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