Army veteran Joseph Drake, center, is greeted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, June 26, 2025, during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that honored Army Rangers who served during World War II. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON — Members of the public and dozens of lawmakers gathered Thursday at Emancipation Hall on Capitol Hill as Congressional Gold Medals were awarded to five Army Rangers who served in World War II.

Two veterans — Sgt. Joseph J. Drake and Pfc. John M. Wardell — received their medals in person, while the remaining three were honored remotely.

“We gather on this momentous occasion to honor some of World War II’s greatest heroes, the United States Army Rangers,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “This band of brothers is so deserving, and this day, to be frank, is long overdue. They formed the spearhead of American special operations in the Second World War, and today we express our most profound gratitude for their courage and contributions with the highest honor that this body can bestow — the Congressional Gold Medal. We enjoy the fruits of liberty paid for by men like these.”

The ceremony included a presentation of colors by the Army Color Guard from the 3rd Infantry Regiment and a performance of the national anthem by the Army Band “Pershing’s Own” Brass Quintet.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also expressed his gratitude, quoting Lt. Gen. Lucian Truscott, a key proponent of the Rangers program.

“(Truscott) was inspired to choose the name because few words have a more glamorous connotation in American military history,” Jeffries said. “He added that it was a compliment to those who exemplified such high standards of individual courage, initiative, determination, ruggedness, fighting ability and achievement.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, Army veteran Joseph Drake, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., applaud Thursday, June 26, 2025, during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that honored Army Rangers who served in World War II. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

From left, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Army veteran John Wardell, center, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Army veteran Joseph Drake, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., listen as Wardell gives remarks on Thursday, June 26, 2025, during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that honored Army Rangers who served in World War II. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

The Army Color Guard from the 3rd Infantry Regiment prepares to present the colors on Thursday, June 26, 2025, during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that honored Army Rangers who served in World War II. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., delivers remarks Thursday, June 26, 2025, during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol honoring Army Rangers from World War II. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

Drake offered brief remarks after receiving his medal.

“I’d like to thank each member of this Congress for giving me and every Ranger this extraordinary award,” he said.

Wardell also spoke at the ceremony.

“It’s an honor to be here today to receive the Congressional Gold Medal and to stand alongside my fellow World War II Rangers,” he said. “I served with E Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion. We trained hard, worked with determination and took on missions others thought were impossible — from the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc to the battle across Europe. We didn’t do it for recognition. We did it out of duty to one another and to our country. To be a Ranger is to live by a code: courage, sacrifice and resolve. That legacy lives on in every Ranger who follows. Our motto has stood the test of time and it always will: Rangers lead the way.”

Army veteran Joseph Drake holds his Congressional Gold Medal on Thursday, June 26, 2025, during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that honored Rangers who served in World War II. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)