The Ritchie Boys, a group of more than 19,000 refugees trained in Maryland to be U.S. intelligence specialists during World War II, are being honored in a congressional resolution that passed the Senate Aug. 9.

They got their name from Camp Ritchie, where the foreign-born soldiers from more than 70 countries were taught to be counterintelligence, interpreters, interrogators, photo analysts and psychological warfare experts, among many other skills. About 200 of them, ranging in age from 95 to 107, are still living.

“Ritchie Boys were heroes who used their innate skills to gather information from all sources and save the lives of American and Allied troops,” Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, one of the cosponsors of S. Res. 349, said in a statement. “Our praise for their bravery and valor may have been delayed because so much of their effort had been previously classified, but our thanks cannot be overstated.”

He added, “As fewer and fewer Ritchie Boy veterans remain, it is more important than ever that we honor their memory and courageous service to their country. All of them deserve to have their nation recognize how they used their talents to fight for freedom when it faced its greatest threat.” 

The father of Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon was one of the Ritchie Boys. Peter Wyden fled Germany and felt “a deeply personal obligation to serve his new home and fight to save his old one,” the senator said in a statement. 

“Until recently, I didn’t even know the extent of my father’s service,” he said. “Newly declassified reports revealed they were integral in gathering intelligence that helped secure victory for the allies in World War II.”

Once trained, the new soldiers were assigned in small teams to U.S. Army and Marine Corps combat units. About 140 died during the war, according the sponsors of the resolution. 

The resolution recognizes the contribution and honors the bravery and dedication of the volunteers. A copy of the resolution will be displayed at the Ritchie History Museum, located at the Fort Ritchie Community Center in Cascade, Maryland. Fort Ritchie was closed in 1998 as part of the base closing and realignment process.