Contributed
Major General John C. Raaen, Jr., United States Army (Retired), and the last surviving U.S. Army Ranger who participated in the initial assault on Omaha Beach on D-Day, received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal on September 17 during a historic ceremony at The Mayflower at Winter Park.
The award was presented to the 103-year-old veteran by Bill Nelson, former U.S. Army Captain, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator and 14th NASA Administrator. The ceremony included:
- Presentation and retirement of colors by the U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment Color Guard.
- Remarks from David L. Williams, PhD, President of the Descendants of WWII Ranger, Inc.; and Col. Christopher Hammonds, Deputy Commander (Support), U.S. Army Ranger Regiment, United States Army Special Operations Command.
- Instrumental selections from a combo from Rollins College under the direction of Dr. John Sinclair.
Congress authorized the medal for U.S. Army Rangers who served in World War II, and President Joe Biden signed the recognition into law in 2022. Maj. Gen. Raaen had been unable to travel when other surviving members of the WWII Ranger battalions were honored this past June at a ceremony on Capitol Hill.
Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished civilian achievements and extraordinary contributions to the country. The Congressional Gold Medal can be given to individuals, institutions, or events and has been awarded fewer than 200 times in the history of the United States. Honorees have included the likes of Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Walt Disney, Arnold Palmer, Jackie Robinson, Neil Armstrong, and Rosa Parks, as well as groups such as the Navajo Code Talkers and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
“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.”
ABOUT MAJ. GEN. JOHN C. RAAEN, JR.
- Born April 22, 1922, at Fort Benning, GA, John C. Raaen, Jr., graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1943. Commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Corps of Engineers, he joined the newly activated 5th Ranger Battalion, landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, where he earned a Silver Star.
- After recovering from war injuries, Maj. Gen. Raaen was appointed as an instructor in the Department of Ordnance at West Point in 1945, and in 1947, transferred to the Ordnance Corps. After attending the Naval Post Graduate School in Annapolis, he earned an MA in Nuclear Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1951.
- During Maj. Gen. Raaen’s prestigious military career, he was stationed in Korea, Vietnam and at the Pentagon, among others, and earned many titles ranging from head of the U.S. Army Armament Command to Executive Deputy Director of the Defense Supply Agency. He retired in 1979 after serving his country for 36 years.
- Maj. Gen. Raaen has spoken at D-Day memorial ceremonies at Normandy, including the 50th anniversary in 1994 and the 75th anniversary in 2019. Interviewed by more than two dozen war historians, he provided oral histories for the BBC and Smithsonian Channel. Using official war documents and his own letters written just weeks after D-Day, he authored INTACT, a first-hand account of the invasion, which tells the story of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion as they helped secure Omaha Beach.
About The Mayflower at Winter Park
A nonprofit Life Plan Community, The Mayflower provides independent living, assisted-living, and skilled nursing/rehabilitation services. Open since 1989, the community features multiple dining venues, two fitness centers, a heated pool, round-the-clock security, and complete home maintenance. The Mayflower recently completed the largest expansion project in its history, including a new neighborhood with Waterside Residences, Club House and Bistro, and a state-of-the-art Healthcare Center.
