A 98-year-old Massachusetts woman was honored Tuesday with the nation's highest civilian award, nearly 80 years after serving the country as a spy in World War II.

Rep. Katherine Clark Katherine Marlea ClarkDemocratic leaders: Supreme Court fight is about ObamaCare Rep. Robin Kelly enters race for Democratic caucus vice chair Clark rolls out endorsements in assistant Speaker race MORE (D-Mass.) honored Lincoln resident Patricia Warner with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Warner joined the war effort after losing her husband in battle in 1942.

"My husband was killed in the war, and I wanted to do something useful," Warner told local Boston CBS-affiliate WBZ.

Warner went on to join the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services, a spy agency that later became the CIA.

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Clark said she was honored to recognize Warner, adding that many stories of heroic women go untold.

So many stories of historic and heroic women go untold. Today, I had the honor of giving Patricia Warner the recognition she deserves for her fearless service as a spy in WWII. Thank you, Patricia- and happy 98th birthday!! https://t.co/NXxzEqhXBN — Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) May 28, 2019

During the war, Warner was sent to infiltrate high society in pro-Nazi Spain, as well as aid American pilots shot down in Nazi-occupied France, according to WBZ.

Warner told the station that receiving the award, which has also been given to President George Washington, General Ulysses S. Grant and civil rights hero Rosa Parks, "means a lot."

"I don't think anyone ever thanks me, and I never though I needed thanking," she said. "But to see this now is very touching and I'm very grateful."

The Congressional Gold Medal, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is the highest civilian award in the nation.