WINTER PARK, Fla. – Maj. Gen. John C. Raaen Jr., the last surviving U.S. Army Ranger who took part in the initial assault on Omaha Beach on D-Day, received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony at The Mayflower at Winter Park on Wednesday.
The 103-year-old veteran was honored in an event that included the presentation and retirement of colors by the U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment Color Guard. The ceremony also featured remarks from leaders of the Descendants of WWII Ranger, Inc., and the U.S. Army Ranger Regiment, along with instrumental music performed by a Rollins College combo.
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Congress authorized the medal to recognize U.S. Army Rangers who served in World War II. President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law in 2022. Maj. Gen. Raaen was unable to attend a previous ceremony on Capitol Hill in June that honored other surviving WWII Ranger battalions.
The Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded fewer than 200 times in U.S. history to individuals, groups, and events. Past honorees include Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong, and the Navajo Code Talkers.
“All of us at The Mayflower extend our sincerest congratulations to Gen. John Raaen on receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. It is a distinguished honor for an extraordinary man,” said Steve Kramer, President/CEO at The Mayflower at Winter Park. “We are not only proud of his vast accomplishments but we’re also grateful to know him as a kind friend and gracious neighbor. He is truly a national treasure.”
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 5th Ranger Battalion. He landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, earning a Silver Star for his actions.
After recovering from injuries sustained in the war, Maj. Gen. Raaen served as an instructor at West Point and later transferred to the Ordnance Corps. He earned a master’s degree in nuclear physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1951.
His military career spanned 36 years and included service in Korea, Vietnam, and the Pentagon. He held leadership roles such as head of the U.S. Army Armament Command and executive deputy director of the Defense Supply Agency before retiring in 1979.
Maj. Gen. Raaen has participated in multiple D-Day memorial ceremonies in Normandy, including the 50th and 75th anniversaries. He has contributed oral histories to the BBC and Smithsonian Channel and authored a first-hand account of the Omaha Beach invasion titled “INTACT,” based on official documents and his wartime letters.