Myron Ranney

 from Sheldon - Remembering Our Past

Twenty years or more ago, a popular book penned by Stephen Ambrose named The Band of Brothers drew a lot of attention. It dealt with  former members of  E Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division that fought in World War II and was based on multiple interviews of the participants. To interest enough soldiers to join the airborne outfit the offering of a $50 a month bonus was extended.

A young man from Sheldon joined. His name was Myron Ranney. His father ran the newspaper office in Sheldon and is buried in the Sheldon cemetery. According to findagrave.com Mrs. Ranney is buried there, too. However, the grave marker does not indicate that.

Upon learning Myron was now a paratrooper, Russ wrote this comment in the paper: “A letter came this morning from my son, Myron, saying he had volunteered for the paratroop division of the army. Myron is nineteen and a former student of the University of N. D. The letter brought a lump in my throat and made it hard for me to work. He was not forced to go. But he loves his own country greater than his own security.”

Ranney’s unit took part in the D-Day invasion and performed well by destroying German artillery that was shelling the soldiers on the beach. Their commander, Dick Winters, ordered what is known as an enveloping maneuver highly regarded today as a good example of an assault on a fixed position. Ranney and one other man successfully attacked the German’s right flank. Winters was quoted as saying that Ranney was one of Easy Company’s killers who instinctively understood the intricacies of battle.

HBO based a 10-part miniseries on the book. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg made the film.