▁several ▁awards ▁in ▁its ▁ 1 0 - month ▁existence . ▁These ▁included ▁four ▁campaign ▁stream ers , ▁nine ▁Silver ▁Star ▁Med als ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Pur ple ▁Heart ▁Med als . ▁Sub sequ ent ▁research ▁has ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁economy ▁of ▁force ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁R angers ▁were ▁employed ▁and ▁how ▁their ▁performance ▁was ▁impact ed ▁by ▁the ▁rac ist ▁policies ▁of ▁their ▁time . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁▁ ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁began ▁when ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁People ' s ▁Army ▁inv aded ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Korea ▁( RO K ) ▁with ▁ 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁well - tra ined ▁and ▁equ ipped ▁troops ▁who ▁easily ▁over ran ▁the ▁smaller ▁and ▁more ▁poor ly ▁equ ipped ▁Republic ▁of ▁Korea ▁Army . ▁In ▁response , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁( U . S .) ▁and ▁United ▁Nations ▁( UN ) ▁began ▁an ▁inter vention ▁campaign ▁to ▁prevent ▁South ▁Korea ▁from ▁col laps ing . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁troops ▁engaged ▁the ▁North ▁Kore ans ▁first ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Os an ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁badly ▁defeated ▁on ▁ 5 ▁July ▁by ▁the ▁better - tra ined ▁North ▁Kore ans . ▁From ▁there , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁UN ▁suffered ▁a ▁steady ▁stream ▁of ▁defe ats ▁that ▁pushed ▁them ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁P us an ▁Per imeter ▁by ▁August . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁North ▁Korean ▁agents ▁began ▁to ▁in fil tr ate ▁behind ▁UN