William Orlando Darby William O . Darby ( 8 February 1911 – 30 April 1945 ) was an officer in the United States Army during World War II . Darby led the famous " Darby ' s Rangers " which evolved into the US Army Rangers and was also made famous as a major motion picture starring the American actor James Garner in the role of Darby . Early life . Darby was born in Fort Smith , Arkansas . He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor of science degree and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery on 13 June 1933 . Army career . His first assignment was being an assistant executive and supply officer with the 82nd Field Artillery at Fort Bliss , Texas . In July 1934 , he transferred to Cloudcroft , New Mexico where he commanded the 1st Cavalry Division detachment . He received intensive artillery training from September 1937 to June 1938 while attending Field Artillery School at Fort Sill , Oklahoma . On 9 September 1940 , he was promoted to captain and subsequently served with the 80th Division at Camp Jackson , South Carolina ; Fort Benning , Georgia ; Camp Beauregard , Louisiana and Fort Des Moines , Iowa . Rangers . As the Second World War progressed , Darby saw rapid promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel . He was with the first U . S . troops sent to Northern Ireland at the outbreak of the war , and during his stay there , he became interested in the British Commandos . His interest was such that , when the U . S . Army decided to establish its Ranger units , he was assigned to direct their organization and training . Many of the original Rangers were volunteers from the Red Bull , the 34th Infantry Division . “ Darby ' s Rangers ” trained with their British counterparts in Scotland and in 1943 , the 1st Ranger Battalion made its first assault at Arzew . Darby was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC ) for his actions during that operation . The citation stated : “ Lt . Col . Darby struck with his force with complete surprise at dawn in the rear of a strongly fortified enemy position . Always conspicuously at the head of his troops , he personally led assaults against the enemy line in the face of heavy machine gun and artillery fire , establishing the fury of the Ranger attack by his skillful employment of hand grenades in close quarter fighting . On March 22 , Lt . Col . Darby directed his battalion in advance on Bon Hamean , capturing prisoners and destroying a battery of self propelled artillery . ” The 1st Ranger Battalion saw further action in the Italian Campaign . Darby received a second award ( oak leaf cluster ) of the DSC in 1943 for his gallantry in Sicily : “ Lt . Col . Darby , with the use of one 37mm gun , which he personally manned , managed not only to repulse an enemy attack , but succeeded with this weapon in destroying one tank , while two others were accounted for by well directed hand grenade fire . ” Darby was also awarded the Silver Star in 1943 for his actions : “ Without regard for his personal safety , the day previous to a raid , he reconnoitered enemy positions and planned the attack which he led the following morning . The thorough organization and successful attack led by Lt . Col . Darby revealed his initiative , courage , and devotion to duty which is a credit to the Armed Forces of the United States . ” Promotion . In April 1944 , having been promoted to Colonel , he returned to Washington , D . C . for duty with the Army Ground Forces and later with the War Department General Staff . In March 1945 , he returned to Italy for an observation tour with General of the Army Henry H . " Hap " Arnold . On 23 April 1945 , Brigadier General Robinson E . Duff , assistant division commander of the US 10th Mountain Division , was wounded ; Darby took over for Duff . “ Task Force Darby ” spearheaded the breakout of the 5th Army from the Po River valley bridgehead and reached Torbole at the head of Lake Garda . Death . On 30 April 1945 , while Darby was issuing orders for the attack on Trento to cut off a German retreat , an 88 mm shell burst in the middle of the assembled officers and NCOs , killing Darby and a sergeant and wounding several others . Relying on the inspiration of their late commander , “ Task Force Darby ” continued on with their mission . Two days later , on 2 May 1945 , all German forces in Italy surrendered . Darby , who was 34 at the time of his death , was posthumously promoted to brigadier general as of that date . He was buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith , Arkansas . Legacy . Darby ' s medals , military records , and uniforms are on display at the Old Fort Museum in Fort Smith , and his boyhood home is open for tours . Camp Darby , near Fort Benning , which is home to the second part of the " Benning Phase " of Ranger School , is named after him . Two U . S . Army installations in Europe were named after Darby ; W . O . Darby Kaserne , Fürth , Germany ( closed in 1995 ) ; and the operational Camp Darby , near Livorno , Italy . The town of Cisterna , Italy , dedicated its high school to Darby . A book entitled Onward We Charge : The Heroic Story of Darby ' s Rangers in World War II by H . Paul Jeffers was published in 2007 . An Admiral Benson Class transport ship , the USS Admiral W . S . Sims ( AP - 127 ) , was renamed USAT General William O . Darby in the 40 ' s . In January 1928 , the high school moved to North 23 and B street , leaving the seventh , eighth , and ninth grades to make up the junior high . In 1955 the name of Fort Smith Junior High School was changed to William O . Darby Junior School in honor of General Darby who led troops in Africa and Italy during World War II . Darby was killed in action leading the Fifth Army spearhead in the Po Valley in 1945 . In 1958 the name of the school ’ s athletic teams was changed from Cubs to Rangers after the famous Darby Rangers . Because of the age and condition of the original building , the school board decided a new building was needed and on September 26 , 1967 an increase in millage was voted for the erecting of a new school . School started in the new building in 1969 and only the section of the building that had been built in 1918 - 1919 was left . It was later remodeled . During the fall of 1971 , the new gymnasium and a general music building was occupied . Beginning in the 2006 - 2007 school year , Darby opened up a new Science and Media Center . The new building has six science classrooms , a science lab , and a new media center . In 1958 the motion picture Darby ' s Rangers , starring James Garner dramatized Darby ' s military exploits . Wayde Preston also played a character role based on Darby in the 1968 film " Anzio " . Awards and decorations . Darby was also awarded a Purple Heart which is not shown in the awards listed in this Wiki history . Darby was also awarded a Purple Heart in 1944 .