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Army Rangers get their gold medal after three years wait
- Published: Jul 11, 2025, 5 PM
United States Army Rangers of World War II were recognized by Congress June 26 in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center with a congressional gold medal. Two of the last five surviving members — Sgt. Joe Drake and Pfc. John Wardell — were in attendance to accept the medal from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on behalf of themselves and their brothers in arms.
A member of the 6th Ranger Battalion, Drake’s service took him to the Ardennes region of Belgium where his unit engaged German forces in the Battle of the Bulge beginning Dec. 16, 1944.
It was the last major German offensive on the Western Front.
Wardell served with the 2nd Ranger Battalion during its assault on the beaches of Normandy, France, following the D-Day invasion in 1944.
The gold medal was authorized June 7, 2022, under legislation signed by President Joe Biden, to become Public Law 117-132.
The enabling legislation was introduced as S. 1872 on May 27, 2021, by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
After presentation of the gold medal, the medal is being forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution “where the medal shall be available for display, as appropriate; and made available for research... and available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the United States Army Rangers Veterans of World II.”
During her remarks, Ernst noted that she embarked on this effort initially because of Iowan Lester Cook, a member of the original 1st Ranger Battalion Darby Rangers.
Bronze duplicate medals of the gold medal in 1.5-inch and 3-inch diameters, each with a Matte finish and plain edge, are available for purchase from the U.S. Mint priced respectively at $20 and $160 each.
Designs
The obverse design features a group of Rangers disembarking a Landing Craft Assault (LCA) and bravely charging a beach, passing an inscription of their motto, RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
Inscriptions of the seven Ranger combat landings, separated by elongated diamonds, create a border: ANZIO, SALERNO, NORMANDY, ARZEW, LICATA, GELA and LEYTE GULF, anchored by WORLD WAR II.
The obverse was designed by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program designer Ben Sowards and sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Joseph V. Noorigian.
The reverse design illustrates a Presidential Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters, Ranger scrolls representing the six Ranger Battalions and the 29th Provisional Ranger Battalion and the Combat Infantryman Badge, with the iconic Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife bisecting the lower half of the design.
Featured around the border are the locations where Rangers led operations in North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific and earned eight Presidential Unit Citations. The inscriptions read separated by bullet points, read OMAHA BEACH, CABANATUAN, EL GUETTAR, CHIUNZI PASS, SAAR RIVER and POINTE DU HOC, with 1942 and 1945 split by the knife blade interrupting a circle around the inside that border.
AIP designer Ron Sanders designed the reverse, which was sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon.
The bronze duplicate medals are being struck at the Philadelphia Mint without the facility’s P Mint mark.
Ranger units
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 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.”
The Ranger Battalions of World War II consisted of:
* The 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated June 19, 1942, in Northern Ireland.
* The 2d Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated April 1, 1943, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee;
* The 3d Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated as provisional on May 21, 1943, in North Africa; and constituted on July 21, 1943, concurrently consolidated with the provisional unit.
* The 4th Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated as provisional on May 29, 1943, in North Africa; and constituted July 21, 1943, concurrently consolidated with the provisional unit.
* The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated Sept. 1, 1943, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee.
* The 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion, originally activated Jan. 20, 1941, at Fort Lewis, Washington, as the 98th Field Artillery Battalion and converted and redesignated Sept. 26, 1944, as the 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion.
* The 29th Ranger Infantry Battalion, a provisional Army National Guard unit that was activated Dec. 20, 1942, at Tidworth Barracks, England, and disbanded Oct. 18, 1943.
Text of the enabling law is found online at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-117publ132/html/PLAW-117publ132.htm.
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Army Rangers get their gold medal after three years wait
- Published: Jul 11, 2025, 5 PM
United States Army Rangers of World War II were recognized by Congress June 26 in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center with a congressional gold medal. Two of the last five surviving members — Sgt. Joe Drake and Pfc. John Wardell — were in attendance to accept the medal from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on behalf of themselves and their brothers in arms.
A member of the 6th Ranger Battalion, Drake’s service took him to the Ardennes region of Belgium where his unit engaged German forces in the Battle of the Bulge beginning Dec. 16, 1944.
It was the last major German offensive on the Western Front.
Wardell served with the 2nd Ranger Battalion during its assault on the beaches of Normandy, France, following the D-Day invasion in 1944.
The gold medal was authorized June 7, 2022, under legislation signed by President Joe Biden, to become Public Law 117-132.
The enabling legislation was introduced as S. 1872 on May 27, 2021, by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
After presentation of the gold medal, the medal is being forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution “where the medal shall be available for display, as appropriate; and made available for research... and available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the United States Army Rangers Veterans of World II.”
During her remarks, Ernst noted that she embarked on this effort initially because of Iowan Lester Cook, a member of the original 1st Ranger Battalion Darby Rangers.
Bronze duplicate medals of the gold medal in 1.5-inch and 3-inch diameters, each with a Matte finish and plain edge, are available for purchase from the U.S. Mint priced respectively at $20 and $160 each.
Designs
The obverse design features a group of Rangers disembarking a Landing Craft Assault (LCA) and bravely charging a beach, passing an inscription of their motto, RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
Inscriptions of the seven Ranger combat landings, separated by elongated diamonds, create a border: ANZIO, SALERNO, NORMANDY, ARZEW, LICATA, GELA and LEYTE GULF, anchored by WORLD WAR II.
The obverse was designed by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program designer Ben Sowards and sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Joseph V. Noorigian.
The reverse design illustrates a Presidential Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters, Ranger scrolls representing the six Ranger Battalions and the 29th Provisional Ranger Battalion and the Combat Infantryman Badge, with the iconic Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife bisecting the lower half of the design.
Featured around the border are the locations where Rangers led operations in North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific and earned eight Presidential Unit Citations. The inscriptions read separated by bullet points, read OMAHA BEACH, CABANATUAN, EL GUETTAR, CHIUNZI PASS, SAAR RIVER and POINTE DU HOC, with 1942 and 1945 split by the knife blade interrupting a circle around the inside that border.
AIP designer Ron Sanders designed the reverse, which was sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon.
The bronze duplicate medals are being struck at the Philadelphia Mint without the facility’s P Mint mark.
Ranger units
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 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.”
The Ranger Battalions of World War II consisted of:
* The 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated June 19, 1942, in Northern Ireland.
* The 2d Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated April 1, 1943, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee;
* The 3d Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated as provisional on May 21, 1943, in North Africa; and constituted on July 21, 1943, concurrently consolidated with the provisional unit.
* The 4th Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated as provisional on May 29, 1943, in North Africa; and constituted July 21, 1943, concurrently consolidated with the provisional unit.
* The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, activated Sept. 1, 1943, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee.
* The 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion, originally activated Jan. 20, 1941, at Fort Lewis, Washington, as the 98th Field Artillery Battalion and converted and redesignated Sept. 26, 1944, as the 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion.
* The 29th Ranger Infantry Battalion, a provisional Army National Guard unit that was activated Dec. 20, 1942, at Tidworth Barracks, England, and disbanded Oct. 18, 1943.
Text of the enabling law is found online at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-117publ132/html/PLAW-117publ132.htm.
Connect with Coin World:
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on X (Twitter)
Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.