February 4, 2015 – More than 40 surviving veterans of a unique American-Canadian prototype Special Forces unit from World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal Tuesday. The medal is the U.S. government’s highest civilian award.
The elite outfit trained at a U.S. Army base in Montana to conduct nighttime raids requiring skills in mountain climbing, amphibious landings, and parachute jumps. The 1,800-member unit, officially the First Special Service Force, became more widely known as the Devil’s Brigade because of their fierce fighting tactics and the black boot camouflage worn on their faces. Their exploits were the subject of a book and 1968 film.
Link: AOL
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