WINTER PARK, Fla. — Maj. Gen. John C. Raaen Jr., the last surviving U.S. Army Ranger who participated in the initial assault on Omaha Beach on D-Day, was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony on Wednesday in Winter Park.
The medal, which recognizes the service of U.S. Army Rangers during World War II, was presented by former U.S. Rep. and Sen. Bill Nelson, who also served as NASA administrator.
The honor was authorized by Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022.
Born April 22, 1922, at Fort Benning, Georgia, Raaen graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1943.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and joined the newly activated 5th Ranger Battalion.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, he landed on Omaha Beach, where he earned the Silver Star for his actions.
After recovering from war injuries, he served as an instructor in the Department of Ordnance at West Point and later transferred to the Ordnance Corps.
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