United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a single gold medal to the U.S. Army Ranger veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated wartime service.
Following its award, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it shall be available for display and research.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1757 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1757
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 10, 2019
Ms. Ernst (for herself and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
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);
(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) 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 18, 1943, the Battalion penetrated enemy lines and
captured the position Djebel el Auk 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 2
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.
(8) During the invasion of Italy, the 1st and 4th Ranger
Battalions landed at Maori 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. 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 underwater 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 seized high
ground blocking 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
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 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''.
(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 ``CABU, 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 Institute.--
(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
(B) World War II.
(d) Duplicate Medals.--Under regulations that the Secretary may
prescribe, 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.
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.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1611)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1609-1610)
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1609-1610)
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Received in the House.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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