More than 80 years after they took part in D-Day, the largest naval, air and land operation in history, members of the all-volunteer World War II Ranger battalions were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

“They were America’s best,” Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson said during a June 26 ceremony on Capitol Hill as two World War II Rangers listened in person and three more tuned in virtually. “The Rangers led the way as America and the Allied Powers clawed back the continent of Europe, and in their courage, all Americans found something to be proud of, and the free world found a reason to hope.”

The June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion saw over 150,000 Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy, France, and it was a key turning point that enabled France's liberation from Nazi control and the eventual defeat of Germany in the spring of 1945. Over 9,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded, according to an Army webpage.

During World War II, the Army activated six Ranger battalions, according to an Army website on the Rangers. The Rangers fought in North Africa, Europe and the Pacific, according to the Army. The Rangers earned their motto, “Rangers lead the way!” as the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions took part in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach.

Under heavy fire from the Germans, the Rangers depended on one another to fight back, Sen. Tammy Duckworth said during the ceremony.

“When asked what kept him going in the face of the battle, Pfc. Wardell, who is here today, said that it was his buddies,” Duckworth said, referring to former Pfc. John Wardell. “He said he knew he and his buddies were highly trained [and] that no matter how bad things got, that they would always, always look out for one another.”

As they assaulted German positions at Pointe du Hoc, the Rangers faced mines, machine-gun fire and enemy artillery as they scaled the 100-foot cliffs and resisted “intense German efforts to retake the position,” according to the U.S. Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act.

The act was signed into law on June 7, 2022. The bill passed the Senate in October 2021 and the House on May 11, 2022.

The Association of the U.S. Army supported and helped advocate for the legislation, and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmie Spencer, an AUSA senior fellow who served as an Army Ranger, served on the committee designing the Rangers’ Gold Medal.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the “highest expression of national appreciation,” and it is given “for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions,” according to a Senate website.

As he accepted the medal, Wardell, who is the last living member of the 2nd Ranger Battalion from World War II, according to the Army, said that the Rangers’ legacy of courage, sacrifice and resolve will live on.

“We trained hard, worked with determination and took on missions others thought were impossible,” he said. “From the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc to the battles across Europe, [we] didn't do it for recognition. We did it out of duty to one another and to our country. Today, I accept this medal on behalf of all World War II Rangers, especially those who never came home.”