WWII veterans of France sought
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Editor,
As the honorary consul of France in Montana, I am pleased to announce that I am looking for some World War II veterans.
Did you help in the liberation of France during World War II? If so, you could be eligible to receive the French Legion of Honor Medal. Created to honor extraordinary contributions to the country, this medal is France’s highest distinction.
To be eligible to receive this outstanding award, veterans of all the different armed forces must have fought on French territory in one or more of the four main campaigns of the liberation of France: Normandy, Southern France, Northern France or the Ardennes. Actions in Belgium, Germany, Italy or any other neighboring European country are not taken into consideration.
Please come forward. I deeply and sincerely feel it is a priority to acknowledge and award our last World War II veterans who fought for the freedom of France.
Please feel free to call me, e-mail me or write to me (406-218-8576; misslaurence@earthlink.net; or P.O. Box 1009, Hamilton, MT, 59840). I am at your disposal and your service here in Montana. I will kindly ask you to provide some documentation such as your military separation order (honorable discharge/DD-214) to verify your military history during combat, and I will take care of the rest of the paperwork that I will submit to the General Consulate in San Francisco, Calif. From the General Consulate, your file will be transferred to the Legion of Honor Committee in Paris. As soon as the committee’s decision is released, I will let you know.
You may also want to provide a copy of previous military awards (the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart or higher distinctions) for meritorious actions during wartime operations. This is particularly important for decorations that were not shown in the discharge document at the time of separation.
To be considered, these citations must have been issued during WWII or its close aftermath and must relate to events (outstanding actions, wounds, having been made prisoner of war, etc.) that took place on the French soil only.
I certainly look forward to hearing from you and from any of your fellow citizens who participated in the liberation of France.
Laurence Markarian
Honorary Consul of France in Montana
Hamilton
