[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1872 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1872

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two


                                 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.

    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 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.
        (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. 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 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 ``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
            (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.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.