| Earl Singletary |
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First Sergeant (Retired) Earl A. Singletary was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame for his distinguished service to his country on 9 July 2010. He was selected as a Distinguished Member of the Ranger Training Brigade and also as a Distinguished Member of the 502nd Infantry Regiment. Ranger Singletary was a Ranger Instructor for over seven years. He served two combat tours in Vietnam, first as a Squad Leader, then Platoon Sergeant with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. During this tour, he received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor device and the Purple Heart. Ranger Singletary volunteered for a second tour as a Vietnamese Ranger Advisor and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. His first award for valor reads in part, "Directed to move forward and provide suppressive fire for a platoon pinned down by enemy fire, Sergeant Singletary immediately took the point and led his squad across open terrain towards the enemy positions. Soon brought under intense machinegun and mortar fire, he sent one fire team to the left in an attempt to outflank the enemy. When his maneuver element also became pinned down, he immediately secured an M-79 grenade launcher, dashed forward through the enemy fire, and began placing devastating grenade fire on the enemy positions. Obtaining fire superiority through Sergeant Singletary's heroic actions, his platoon was able to move forward and overrun the enemies' positions." While serving as a Reconnaissance Company Advisor to ARVN 5th Ranger Group, one platoon of the Reconnaissance Company was assigned an ambush position in Can Giouc District, Long An Province. At approximately 2200 hours the platoon began receiving extremely intense small arms, automatic weapons, and rocket fire. Sergeant Singletary moved with the remainder of the Reconnaissance Company to reinforce the platoon. He fiercely exposed himself to enemy fire as he moved among the assaulting Rangers directing their fire and inspiring them to assault vigorously. Through his courageous actions, the Reconnaissance Company overran the enemy and inflicted numerous casualties on the Viet Cong. He worked for Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Department as Chief Deputy from 1980 to 1981 as well as a deputy sheriff with Hall County Sheriff’s Office from 1981 to 1982. He was a Senior Army Instructor and then Deputy Commandant at Riverside Military Academy from 1982 to 1994. He earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Brenau University in 1987. From 1994 to 1997, he was Assistant Chief of Police and then Chief of Police in Cumming, Georgia. From 1998 to 2000, he was Chief Deputy of Forsyth County. |
