KOREA

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Near the end of World War II, the Army’s 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was formed. The first all-black paratrooper company, known as the Triple Nickles. They didn’t see combat but were kept stateside for a vital and secret security mission. The 555th was disbanded in 1947, but some of its members and other volunteers went on to form the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company. Cleveland Valrey became one of the original members of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), the elite force that trained and deployed with three other all-white units. They arrived in Korea in December of 1950 unprepared for the excruciatingly bitter cold, having only been equipped with cotton liners for their field jackets. Nonetheless, the 2nd Rangers were gung-ho and engaged.

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