Randall Ching

Randall Ching is believed to be the only Asian American of Chinese descent who fought as a ranger in World War II. He was a ranger in the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion. This battalion landed on Omaha Beach during the Battle of Normandy. General Omar Bradley was thinking of abandoning the beach and then General Norman Cota gave the order, “Rangers, Lead the Way!”

He was born in San Francisco in 1924. His family moved back to China in te 1930s because of the Great Depression. He left China during the second Sino-Japanese War and returned to America before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Not too long after that, he was drafted into the army and he planned on joining the infantry. Since his marksmanship was so good, he signed up to be a ranger. After the Battle of Normandy, he was awarded the Bronze Star for using his knife-fighting skills to defeat a German Patrol in 1944. He fought with the rangers until the end of the war.

His supporters petitioned the French government to induct him into the Legion of Honor (Fran’s top award for military and civil merit). Ching believed that those who died in the battle deserved the award more than he did.

Ching received the Congressional Gold Medal in December 2020 along with his fellow Chinese American World War II Veterans.