Bio
Major General John G. Van Houten was instrumental in the rebirth of the Army Rangers.
Van Houten was an experienced combat leader in World War II, commanding of the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division in the savage battle of the Huertgen Forest. At the outbreak of the Korean War, Army Chief of Staff General J. Lawton Collins directed the establishment of the Ranger Training Center at Fort Benning Georgia.
As the commander, COL Van Houten instituted a rigorous training program that trained fourteen Ranger companies, six that saw combat in Korea. The Army disbanded the Ranger companies in 1951, but retained the Ranger Training Center to infuse the Army with Ranger-trained soldiers.
Van Houten later commanded the 8th Infantry Division and served as the Commander of the Military District of Washington. His legacy is the Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning Georgia.