WWII “Devil’s Brigade” Honored by Congress

On Tuesday, America’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, was bestowed upon the 1st Special Service Force. The joint American-Canadian strike force, nicknamed the “Devil’s Brigade,” was among the deadliest commando units of World War II and the model for modern-day special forces such as the Navy SEALs.

They jumped out of airplanes and parachuted behind enemy lines. Under the cover of night, they scaled mountains and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. They could storm a beach in an amphibious landing or ski across rugged terrain with guns strapped to their backs. They could have been big-screen action heroes—and they did, in fact, inspire a Hollywood movie—but their exploits were all too real.
Now, more than 70 years after they left the battlefields of World War II, the men of the 1st Special Service Force have received America’s highest civilian honor—the Congressional Gold Medal. On February 3, surviving members of the joint American-Canadian strike force gathered with families of the unit’s deceased veterans for a ceremony in their honor inside the U.S. Capitol


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