[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 188 (Tuesday, October 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7387-S7389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3912. Mr. SCHUMER (for Ms. Ernst) proposed an amendment to the 
bill S. 1872, 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; as follows:

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     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

[[Page S7388]]

     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.

[[Page S7389]]

  


     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.
                                 ______