WWII veteran, 99, honored at U.S. Capitol   

Tommy Watters contributed to this story.

WALL TOWNSHIP — Army veteran John Wardell, 99, who served with E Company 2nd Ranger Battalion in World War II, this week traveled to the Capitol in Washington, D.C., where he and another living Ranger were decorated with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Wardell, a resident of Point Pleasant, flew by private plane from Monmouth Executive Airport to Washington, D.C., with members of his family and Ptl. Michael Malone of Wall Township Police Department escorting him every step of the way. 

Wardell was met with support at the airport by members of the Wall Township Police Department, including Chief Sean O’Halloran, who thanked him for his service.

“Rangers lead the way,” Wardell enthusiastically told The Coast Star, referencing the Ranger motto. “I’m very proud, to the point my chest is popping out.”

Malone, who has volunteered with the Best Defense Foundation since 2019, found out about Wardell through a mutual friend and was able to bring him back to Normandy, France in 2024, before getting the chance to escort Wardell to his medal ceremony. 

“Now, we continue to honor him in whatever way we can,” Malone told The Coast Star. “Not only John, but all of our World War II veterans, and especially the Rangers. This doesn’t happen to everyone, getting the Congressional Gold Medal. It’s just an honor to be able to do this with the Best Defense Foundation, because it leads me to guys like John and the rest of the vets I find along the way.”

CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL CEREMONY

Wardell joined Sgt. Joseph Drake of Hawley, Pennsylvania, as just two of five surviving Army Rangers, among more than 6,500 who served in World War II, in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol this past Thursday, to receive Congressional Gold Medals.

“This band of brothers is so deserving, and this day, to be frank, is long overdue,” House Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said. “They formed the spearhead of American special operations in the Second World War, and today, we express our most profound gratitude for their courageous contributions with the highest honor that this body can bestow, and that is the Congressional Gold Medal.”

“There were ordinary men called to extraordinary valor, who stared death in the face and, by the grace of God, achieved the incredible and defended freedom,” Johnson said. “They were America’s best.”

“What the Army Rangers achieved in Normandy, they did again and again and again throughout the war, across every theater, against overwhelming odds,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “With the fate of the free world on the line, Army Rangers led the way.”

“Today we celebrate real heroes,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. “We point the spotlight exactly where it deserves to go.”

“It is altogether fitting and proper that we are here today honoring these two men and the other three at home, and all the Army Rangers of World War II and all generations who’ve been willing to put it all on the line for the rest of us,” Hegseth said. “There are heroes among us, ordinary people who did extraordinary things.”

“It’s an honor to be here today to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, and to stand alongside my fellow World War II Rangers,” Wardell said at the ceremony. “We trained hard, fought with determination and took on missions others thought were impossible, from the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, to the battles across Europe. We didn’t do it for recognition, we did it out of duty to one another and to our country. Today, I accept this medal on behalf of all World War II Rangers, especially those who never came home. Whether in person or remembered in spirit, we represent them all.”

“To be a Ranger is to live by a code,” Wardell continued. “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.”

WARDELL RANGERS STORY

Wardell was born on July 12, 1925, in Point Pleasant. After graduating from high school, he entered the Army in October 1943 in Camden, and attended basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida, according to the Best Defense Foundation’s biography of Wardell.

Arriving in England in April of 1944, Wardell volunteered for the Rangers and was sent to Baggy Point, England for Ranger training. On June 18, 1944 he arrived on the Omaha Beach landing in Normandy, France, and joined E Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion. During the remainder of the Normandy campaign, he conducted patrols and training for the company’s next engagement.

In August 1944, the Rangers moved into Brittany, engaging the Germans at the Battle for Brest before heading across France. Wardell participated in the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest from September to November of that year. In early December, the 2nd Battalion moved into Bergstein to gain control of Hill 400, also known as “the last hill.” John was wounded here on Dec. 7, and later rejoined the Company on Christmas Day 1944, before being honorably discharged from the Army on October 26, 1945 at Fort Dix.

Wardell is a Purple Heart recipient for his work defending the country. When asked about his time serving, Wardell recalled to The Coast Star a moment during the war, when he was sitting on the floor of a church in Germany. All of the pews had been removed for locals to use as firewood during the war. Suddenly, a bullet shot through the church’s large windows and just missed him.

“I don’t know who was firing them, whether it was Germans or whoever,” Wardell said. “It was an 88 shell. It came in the window across from me, and I was sitting with my back against the wall. The shell came through one window across from me, then right out the window I was sitting at. Luckily, it went through the windows and out onto the grass.”

Wardell also spoke to The Coast Star about one of the most memorable moments for him during the war, when he was hit with an exploded bullet shell that passed through his helmet.

The incident occurred during the battle of Hill 400 in Bergstein, Germany, where the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion retained the hill against the German airborne Fallschirmjagers, the first American unit to do so in a four-month battle. 

“It went through my helmet and helmet liner, and knocked me down,” Wardell said. “I went off to the hospital in Liege for a week or so.”

“It’s a profound honor to escort John Wardell to our nation’s capital to receive the Congressional Gold Medal,” Ptl. Malone told The Coast Star. “As one of the last living members of the legendary E Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion, John represents a generation of warriors whose courage and sacrifice changed history.”

“Today’s Rangers and Special Forces quite literally stand on the shoulders of giants – men like John, who forged their legacy from the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, to Hill 400, to battlefields across every theater of World War II,” Ptl. Malone continued. “This award is a recognition not just of what they did, but of who they were — and the standard they set for all who serve.”

RETURNING FROM THE TRIP

Nowadays, Wardell resides in Point Pleasant within Bay Point Harbor. He is currently gearing up to celebrate his 100th birthday, which will take place on July 12. 

He told The Coast Star the experience of being honored in the capital, “It’s always nice to be acknowledged and accept anything they do for you or give you.” 

He also said it was an honor to represent all the rangers, both still living and those who are not anymore, and he really appreciates being able to represent the rangers. 

“I hope they are happy with what I have done to represent them,” said Wardell. He also said he doesn’t want to get too excited about turning 100, but still feels strong, healthy and is grateful he is still alive and thriving.

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