The 6th Ranger battalion was stationed in the Pacific, mostly in the Philippines and New Guinea. All operations completed by the 6th battalion were done in company or platoon size behind enemy lines. They were the first soldiers to hit the Philippines three days before the army would launch the first invasion. The 6th battalion was a long-range reconnaissance or combat unit, operating miles past the front line.
At Cabanatuan, on the island of Luzon in January 1945, a company of the 6th Rangers battalion executed one of the most daring rescues in American history. The Rangers penetrated 29 miles (47 km) behind enemy lines, including crawling an entire mile (1 mile (1.6 km)) across an open field on their stomachs. During their final assault the rangers destroyed a garrison of Japanese soldiers twice their size and rescued 500 POWs.
The 6th Rangers final mission was to secure a drop zone for paratroopers 250 miles (400 km) into enemy territory. They linked up with the 32nd Infantry Division and ended the war in the Philippines.
