United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act
Bill: S.1872 | Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni (R-IA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army Rangers Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

[117th Congress Public Law 132]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 1231]]

           UNITED STATES ARMY RANGERS VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II

                      CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

[[Page 136 STAT. 1232]]

Public Law 117-132
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the United States 
     Army Rangers Veterans of World War II in recognition of their 
 extraordinary service during World War II. <<NOTE: June 7, 2022 -  [S. 
                                1872]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: United States 
Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act. 31 
USC 5111 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Army Rangers Veterans 
of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Treasury; and
            (2) the term ``United States Army Rangers Veteran of World 
        War II'' means any individual who--
                    (A) served in the Armed Forces--
                          (i) honorably;
                          (ii) in an active duty status; and
                          (iii) at any time during the period beginning 
                      on June 19, 1942, and ending on September 2, 1945; 
                      and
                    (B) was assigned to a Ranger Battalion of the Army 
                at any time during the period described in subparagraph 
                (A)(iii).
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In World War II, the Army formed 6 Ranger Battalions and 
        1 provisional battalion. All members of the Ranger Battalions 
        were volunteers. The initial concept of Ranger units drew from 
        the British method of using highly trained ``commando'' units 
        and the military tradition of the United States of utilizing 
        light infantry for scouting and raiding operations.
            (2) The Ranger Battalions of World War II consisted of--
                    (A) the 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, which was 
                activated on June 19, 1942, in Northern Ireland;
                    (B) the 2d Ranger Infantry Battalion, which was 
                activated on April 1, 1943, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee;
                    (C) the 3d Ranger Infantry Battalion, which was--
                          (i) activated as provisional on May 21, 1943, 
                      in North Africa; and
                          (ii) constituted on July 21, 1943, and 
                      concurrently consolidated with the provisional 
                      unit described in clause (i);

[[Page 136 STAT. 1233]]

                    (D) the 4th Ranger Infantry Battalion, which was--
                          (i) activated as provisional on May 29, 1943, 
                      in North Africa; and
                          (ii) constituted on July 21, 1943, and 
                      concurrently consolidated with the provisional 
                      unit described in clause (i);
                    (E) the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, which was 
                activated on September 1, 1943, at Camp Forrest, 
                Tennessee;
                    (F) the 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion, which was--
                          (i) originally activated on January 20, 1941, 
                      at Fort Lewis, Washington, as the 98th Field 
                      Artillery Battalion; and
                          (ii) converted and redesignated on September 
                      26, 1944, as the 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion; 
                      and
                    (G) the 29th Ranger Infantry Battalion, a 
                provisional Army National Guard unit that was--
                          (i) activated on December 20, 1942, at 
                      Tidworth Barracks, England; and
                          (ii) disbanded on October 18, 1943.
            (3) The first combat operations of Army Rangers occurred on 
        August 19, 1942, when 50 Rangers took part in the British-
        Canadian raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe.
            (4) <<NOTE: William O. Darby.>>  The 1st Ranger Battalion, 
        under the leadership of Major William O. Darby, was used in full 
        strength during the landings at Arsew, Algeria, during the North 
        African campaign. Due to the success of the Rangers in several 
        difficult battles, particularly at El Guettar in March and April 
        of 1943, 2 additional Ranger Battalions were organized in North 
        Africa.
            (5) During the North African campaign, the 1st Ranger 
        Battalion was awarded battle honors for its actions in Tunisia. 
        On March 20, 1943, the Battalion penetrated enemy lines and 
        captured the position Djebel el Ank in a nighttime attack, 
        taking more than 200 prisoners. Two days later, the battalion 
        was attacked by the 10th Panzer division of the German Afrika 
        Korps and, despite heavy losses, continued to defend its 
        position. The following day, the 1st Battalion counterattacked 
        to clear high ground overlooking the positions held by the Armed 
        Forces. These actions demonstrated the ability of the Rangers to 
        fight in difficult terrain and the courage to endure despite 
        being outnumbered and exposed to heavy enemy fire.
            (6) The 29th provisional Ranger Battalion was formed from 
        volunteers drawn from the 29th Infantry Division stationed in 
        England in the fall of 1942. The Battalion was activated on 
        December 20, 1942, and accompanied British commandos on 3 small-
        scale raids in Norway. Nineteen members of the 29th Ranger 
        Battalion conducted a raid on a German radar site in France on 
        the night of September 3, 1943. After that raid, the 29th Ranger 
        Battalion was disbanded because new Ranger units, the 2d and 5th 
        Battalions, were being formed.
            (7) During the summer and fall of 1943, the 1st, 3d, and 4th 
        Ranger Battalions were heavily involved in the campaign in 
        Sicily and the landings in Italy. The 1st and 4th Ranger 
        Battalions conducted a night amphibious landing in Sicily and 
        secured the landing beaches for the main force. The 3d Battalion 
        landed separately at Licata, Sicily, and was able to silence gun 
        positions on an 82-foot cliff overlooking the invasion beaches.

[[Page 136 STAT. 1234]]

            (8) During the invasion of Italy, the 1st and 4th Ranger 
        Battalions landed at Maiori with the mission of seizing the high 
        ground and protecting the flank of the remainder of the main 
        landing by the United States. Enemy forces in the area were 
        estimated to outnumber the Rangers by approximately 8 to 1. 
        Despite these odds, the Rangers took the position and held off 7 
        enemy counterattacks.
            (9) After the invasion of Italy, Rangers continued to be 
        used, often in night attacks, to seize key terrain ahead of the 
        advancing Allied forces. At the Anzio beachhead, the majority of 
        the 1st, 3d, and 4th Ranger Battalions sustained heavy 
        casualties after being cut off behind German lines. The Rangers 
        had planned to infiltrate German positions under the cover of 
        darkness and make a dawn attack on a critical road junction but 
        were pinned down by enemy tanks and an elite German paratrooper 
        unit. After 12 hours of desperate fighting and a failed relief 
        attempt, the majority of the Ranger force was killed, wounded, 
        or captured. Only 6 Rangers from the 1st and 3d Battalions, out 
        of more than 767 men, returned to friendly lines. The 4th 
        Battalion, which had been in reserve, also suffered 60 killed 
        and 120 wounded out of 550 men. These 3 battalions were 
        inactivated and the survivors were transferred to other units.
            (10) In the United States, and later in Scotland, the 2d and 
        5th Ranger Battalions were formed to undertake operations in 
        Western Europe. <<NOTE: James E. Rudder.>> Those Battalions were 
        engaged on D-Day, assaulting German positions at the Pointe du 
        Hoc coastal battery, and remained in combat through September of 
        1944. Specifically, Rangers in the 2d Battalion, under the 
        command of Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder--
                    (A) overcame mines, machine gun fire, and enemy 
                artillery while scaling the 100-foot high cliffs at 
                Pointe du Hoc;
                    (B) held against intense German efforts to retake 
                the position; and
                    (C) after reaching the top of the cliffs, moved 
                inland roughly 1 mile and sustained heavy casualties 
                while searching for, and ultimately destroying, a German 
                heavy artillery battery.
            (11) During June, July, and August of 1944, the 2d and 5th 
        Ranger Battalions were engaged in the campaign in Brest, which 
        included close-range fighting in hedgerows and numerous 
        villages. Later, in operations in Western Germany, the 
        Battalions were frequently used to attack in darkness and gain 
        vital positions to pave the way for the main Army attacks.
            (12) During the final drive into Germany in late February 
        and early March 1945, the 5th Ranger Battalion was cited for 
        battle honors for outstanding performance. Under the cover of 
        darkness, the unit drove into German lines and blocked the main 
        German supply route in the sector. The Germans attacked the 
        position of the Rangers from both sides, resulting in heavy 
        Ranger casualties during 5 days of fighting. As a result of the 
        actions of the Rangers, the main Army attack was able to 
        overcome German defenses more easily, occupy the vital city of 
        Trier, and reach the Rhine River.
            (13) The 6th Ranger Battalion operated in the Pacific. In 
        the most notable exploit of the 6th Ranger Battalion, in

[[Page 136 STAT. 1235]]

        January and February of 1945, the Battalion formed the nucleus 
        of a rescue force that liberated more than 500 Allied prisoners, 
        including prisoners from the United States, from the Cabanatuan 
        prisoner of war camp in the <<NOTE: Henry A. 
        Mucci.>> Philippines. With the help of local Filipino guerillas, 
        the Rangers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Henry A. Mucci, 
        demonstrated extraordinary heroism by infiltrating Japanese-held 
        territory to reach the prisoners of war and prevent them from 
        being killed by the Japanese. After a 25-mile march at night 
        through the jungle, the unit killed all Japanese sentries with 
        no loss of life of the prisoners of war. The unit successfully 
        returned to American lines having lost only 2 soldiers killed 
        and having another 2 wounded.
            (14) The 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion--
                    (A) participated in the campaigns of--
                          (i) Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead);
                          (ii) Tunisia;
                          (iii) Sicily (with arrowhead);
                          (iv) Naples-Foggia (with arrowhead);
                          (v) Anzio (with arrowhead); and
                          (vi) Rome-Arno; and
                    (B) for its contributions, received--
                          (i) the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) and 
                      streamer embroidered with ``EL GUETTAR''; and
                          (ii) the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) and 
                      streamer embroidered with ``SALERNO''.
            (15) The 2d Ranger Infantry Battalion--
                    (A) participated in the campaigns of--
                          (i) Normandy (with arrowhead);
                          (ii) Northern France;
                          (iii) Rhineland;
                          (iv) Ardennes-Alsace; and
                          (v) Central Europe; and
                    (B) for its contributions, received--
                          (i) the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) and 
                      streamer embroidered with ``POINTE DU HOE''; and
                          (ii) the French Croix de Guerre with Silver-
                      Gilt Star, World War II, and streamer embroidered 
                      with ``POINTE DU HOE''.
            (16) The 3d Ranger Infantry Battalion--
                    (A) participated in the campaigns of--
                          (i) Sicily (with arrowhead);
                          (ii) Naples-Foggia (with arrowhead);
                          (iii) Anzio (with arrowhead); and
                          (iv) Rome-Arno; and
                    (B) for its contributions, received the Presidential 
                Unit Citation (Army) and streamer embroidered with 
                ``SALERNO''.
            (17) The 4th Ranger Infantry Battalion--
                    (A) participated in the campaigns of--
                          (i) Sicily (with arrowhead);
                          (ii) Naples-Foggia (with arrowhead);
                          (iii) Anzio (with arrowhead); and
                          (iv) Rome-Arno; and
                    (B) for its contributions, received the Presidential 
                Unit Citation (Army) and streamer embroidered with 
                ``SALERNO''.

[[Page 136 STAT. 1236]]

            (18) The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion--
                    (A) participated in the campaigns of--
                          (i) Normandy (with arrowhead);
                          (ii) Northern France;
                          (iii) Rhineland;
                          (iv) Ardennes-Alsace; and
                          (v) Central Europe; and
                    (B) for its contributions, received--
                          (i) the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) and 
                      streamer embroidered with ``NORMANDY BEACHHEAD'';
                          (ii) the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) and 
                      streamer embroidered with ``SAAR RIVER AREA''; and
                          (iii) the French Croix de Guerre with Silver-
                      Gilt Star, World War II, and streamer embroidered 
                      with ``NORMANDY''.
            (19) The 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion--
                    (A) participated in the campaigns of--
                          (i) New Guinea;
                          (ii) Leyte (with arrowhead); and
                          (iii) Luzon; and
                    (B) for its contributions, received--
                          (i) the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) and 
                      streamer embroidered with ``CEBU, LUZON''; and
                          (ii) the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation 
                      and streamer embroidered with ``17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 
                      4 JULY 1945''.
            (20) The United States will be forever indebted to the 
        United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II, whose 
        bravery and sacrifice in combat contributed greatly to the 
        military success of the United States and the allies of the 
        United States.
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The President pro tempore of the Senate and 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the United States Army Rangers Veterans 
of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service during World 
War II.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award described in 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall strike the gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of the United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War 
        II, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian 
        Institution, where the medal shall be--
                    (A) available for display, as appropriate; and
                    (B) made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
        Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at other locations associated with--
                    (A) the United States Army Rangers Veterans of World 
                War II; or

[[Page 136 STAT. 1237]]

                    (B) World War II.

    (d) Duplicate Medals.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may strike and sell 
        duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under this 
        section, at a price sufficient to cover the cost of the medals, 
        including the cost of labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 
        and overhead expenses.
            (2) Proceeds of sales.--The amounts received from the sale 
        of duplicate medals under paragraph (1) shall be deposited in 
        the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

    (e) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDAL.

    (a) National Medal.--The gold medal struck under section 4 shall be 
a national medal for the purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 
States Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For the purposes of section 5134 of title 31, 
United States Code, all medals struck under section 4 shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

    Approved June 7, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1872:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 167 (2021):
                                    Oct. 26, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                                        Vol. 168 (2022):
                                    May 10, 11, considered and passed 
                                        House.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2022):
            June 7, Presidential remarks.

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