Please cosponsor the 117th session House bill HR3577, introduced by Congressman Jason Crow from Colorado, to award the Congressional Gold Medal to all WWII Rangers.  He is an Army Ranger, and knows well that today's elite Rangers stand on the shoulders of those WWII Rangers who led the way. 

Participating in the Dieppe Raid in August 1942, the 1st Ranger Battalion provided the first ground troops in Europe, and sadly had the first American KIAs on European soil.  Thereafter, the WWII Rangers led landings at Arzew in North Africa, Gela in Sicily, Salerno and Anzio in Italy, Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach in France, and Leyte Gulf in the Philippines.  They climbed the cliffs to destroy the German long-range guns at Normandy.  They led the way off "Bloody Omaha Beach" during the D-Day invasion.  They infiltrated 25 miles behind Japanese lines to bring 516 Allied POWs back to freedom. The 7 WWII Ranger Battalions included in HR3577 have been awarded eight Presidential Unit Citations for combat actions.

There were almost 7000 soldiers who volunteered to be in WWII Rangers units - from every state and from many races/ethnicities.  Today only 17 remain.  Now is the right time to nationally recognize them.  Please cosponsor HR3577 while some of these WWII Rangers are still with us and can share this national honor with families and friends.