In 1967, after returning from my first tour in Vietnam, I was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division Recondo School as the school Sergeant Major (NCO in charge). Some time mid-year the Assistant Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Clay and the G2, Col. Charles Beckwith, came to the school and told us General Westmoreland wanted a Long Range Patrol (LRP) Company in every Infantry Division in Vietnam. We knew the Division was going to deploy in December, 1967. The 1st Brigade was already there and had a Long Range Recon Platoon (LRRP). Since all Cadre of the Recondo School were Ranger School Graduates, we were selected to form this new company. We started recruiting personnel and trained at fort Campbell and the Army’s Florida Ranger Camp. We deployed to Bien Hoa (Vietnam) 4 December, 1967 with Captain Peter Fitts commanding. After arriving in country the 1st Brigade LRRP Platoon was reassigned to our company. We were activated as F Company, 58th Infantry, and remained that way until February, 1969 when the company was re-designated L Company, 75th Rangers. As to the original fill-in and training of F Co. at Campbell. We did not completely fill the Company, we continued to recruit even when we got in country. If my memory is correct about 95% of the Cadre at Recondo School volunteered for the Company. Many of them had already served a tour in Vietnam. We started our training at ft. Campbell and used some of the training schedules we used at the school to train, especially patrolling techniques. We added, or I should say Col. Charles Beckwith added, a very extensive live fire course. Col. Beckwith had also commanded the Florida Ranger Camp at Eglin Air force Base, so we took the company down there for a couple of weeks training on advanced Long Range Patrolling. There was a little animosity between the LRRP Platoon, who called themselves “Old Foul Dudes”, and the new company. This was bound to happen since they had already been there and had many missions under their belts and we were all FNGs to them. All of that went away as we trained (some with the Australian SAS) and integrated everyone into the new company. I don’t believe due to the type of mission we had and the small size of our patrols that you would find a tighter organization anywhere in the Army. They were so dependant on each other to accomplish the mission and for survival that a very strong brotherhood developed.