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2-75th Rangers honored at JBLM

Heroism in Afghanistan and at home

Master Sgt. Justin Viene, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart from Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander, 7th Infantry Division, at a Valorous Awards Ceremony Dec. 20. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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They volunteered to join the Army. They volunteered to attend Airborne School. They volunteered to become a Ranger.

And some of them are members of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord based 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, a unit with a storied history that runs back to D-Day, 1944.

Friday evening at the Evergreen Theater, the unit took time to honor 15 Rangers and one civilian during a Valorous Awards Ceremony.

"An inner sense of discipline is common to these heroes," Col. Gregory Anderson, the battalion's commander, said moments after the last award had been pinned.

"They bear the wounds of the grim but noble task of defending our country."

>>> The 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment attended a Valorous Awards Ceremony Friday evening at the Evergreen Theater. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

The regiment recently returned from its 16th deployment from Afghanistan and will soon leave again early next year.

"Being a Ranger is being part of something greater than yourself," Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza, the ceremony's host, noted.

Unlike his fellow Rangers who were honored for valor while deployed, Sgt. Paul Cusack was honored for his bravery during the terrorist bombing that occurred at the Boston Marathon.

"With no regard for his own safety, and after running an exhausting 26.2 miles, (then) Cpl. Cusack selflessly subjected himself to unknown peril by running into the immediate vicinity of the blast area following the detonations," the citation reads.

"While others ran away from the scene, Cpl. Cusack raced toward the devastation and played a fundamental role in saving the lives of several individuals," the citation concluded.

>>> Sgt. Daniel Litzenberger, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, receives a Commendation Medal with V Device from Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander, 7th Infantry Division, during the regiment's Valorous Awards Ceremony. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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