On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. D-day led to the liberation of Western Europe, the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II. Omaha Beach, one of two American landing areas, was the most heavily defended by German troops. 22-year-old Captain John Raaen, Jr. and his command of U.S. Army Rangers were among the first to hit the beach at seven-fifty in the morning under intense fire.
“Amid the chaos and carnage on Omaha Beach, those young Rangers were tasked with scaling 100-foot cliffs, clearing barbed wire under blazing machine gun fire and tackling impossible odds. But these Rangers didn’t just secure ground. They led where others could not,” said Colonel Christopher C. Hammonds. “From that very moment, the Rangers’ motto, Rangers Lead The Way, was born. A legacy of courage that is echoed through generations.”
More than 80 years later, General Raaen is now 103 years old and is the only surviving Ranger who landed on the shores of Normandy. On behalf of the nearly 7,000 rangers who served in World War II, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Unable to travel to Washington, D.C. for the ceremony, the ceremony came to him in Central Florida.
Surrounded by a standing ovation at The Mayflower at Winter Park, General Raaen was awarded the medal by former U.S. Army Captain and former U.S. Representative and Senator Bill Nelson.
First presented to George Washington in 1776, the Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded fewer than 200 times, with past recipients including Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, Neil Armstrong and Rosa Parks.
“It’s pretty humbling when you stop to think of it, that we go down with the medal that George Washington got and a whole bunch of other people,” reflected General Raaen.
“This is so much of a part of who we are as Americans, and the younger generation, unless they’ve read a history book, don’t understand the sacrifice that was made in order for them to have the freedoms that they have today,” shared Senator Bill Nelson, following the medal ceremony.
“It’s so important to let younger generations know about the history of this country because the freedoms that we enjoy today were paid for by the sacrifices of generations that came before us,” said former U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, who voted for the bill to award the medal while still in office.
Among those inspired were members of the 75th Ranger Regiment, who volunteered to be part of the ceremony to help honor one of their own. “I mean, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up a little bit. You know what I mean?,” said Capt. Derek Whitmore, a 26-year-old operations officer. “We don’t often need reminders as to why we volunteer for service and why we volunteer for the Ranger Regiment. But meeting some of the heroes and seeing the giants that we are working alongside, it’s humbling, absolutely.”
During his 36-year military career, General Raaen served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He earned a master’s degree in nuclear physics and commanded key military agencies. He’s been awarded dozens of medals, including the Silver Star for valor in combat on D-Day. Raaen has been inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, the Army Ordinance Corps Hall of Fame and the Ammunition Hall of Fame.
“Many of my accomplishments didn’t get a medal, I can tell you that. And many of my errors didn’t get a chewing out either,” General Raaen told Growing Bolder.
Just as he stormed the beach on D-Day, General Raaen storms ahead in life. He is still concerned about the country he loves and the way of life he fought to protect.
“We’ve got to at least stop hating people who we disagree with,” General Raaen urged. “Twenty years ago, opponents went out and played golf with each other and had lunch with each other, and discussed the things off the record and that was pretty good. I’d like to see that again.”
If Raaen ever needs a reminder of the life he’s led, the sacrifices he’s made and the friends he’s lost, he only needs to look out the window of his apartment.
“The flag means a great deal to me,” Raaen said. “It is a symbol of us as we were and how we’ve grown. Many good men have given their lives to hold the flag up. As people fell holding the flag, others took the flag right out of their dying or dead hands. And it’s very important to us, who are professional soldiers, to honor the flag at all times.”
Click here to watch our full story on 103-Year-Old General John Raaen.
