SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2009
NORMANDY - LEGION OF HONOR MEDAL PRESENTATIONS |
|
 Legion
d'honneur
or Ordre National de la Légion d'honneur ("National Order of the
Legion of Honour") is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte
in 1802.
It is the highest decoration in France and is divided into five
various degrees: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur
(Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand'Croix (Grand
Cross). |
The decoration of the Legion d' Honor
is a star with five double rays, surmounted on a crown of oak and bay
tree leaves. The center of the white enameled star, is surrounded
by branches of oak and baytree with the epigraph: " Republic Française".
On the reverse there are two Tricolours with the epigraph: "Honneur et
Patrie" (Honor and Country). and dates it: " 29 floréal year
X". The currency of the Legion d' honor is " Honor and Patrie" , the
color, red, badges: the collar, the cross, the plate. |
 Airborne
Color Guard
parades past |
Presidential Welcome
images of Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy adorn sign at the museum |
|
 Heads
of State
U.S. President Barrack Obama, Prince Charles of Wales and Prime Minister
of the UK James Gordon Brown
of England, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and French President
Nichols Sarkozy. |
Award Speeches
were made by various French dignitaries |
National Anthem
is played as 82nd Airborne men are shown saluting on huge TV screen |
Veterans Waiting Patiently
Duke Boswell and Julius Eisner
|
Zane Schlemmer (508th)
displays his medal |
Cipriano Gamez Honored
as Lt. "Sophie: observes the medal pinning |
Chet Graham (508th)
was a proud recipient as well. |
 French
Army Colonel Patrick Collet
presented Chet his medal |
Bob Bearden (507th)
receives his Legion of Honor |
Howard Hubner (507th)
stands tall with his new medal |
Duke Boswell
donates a flag to the museum |
Cipriano Gamez
with French military escorts
Read official French press release |
French Officers assigned to escort Cipriano |
Tom Hanks
with Cipriano and Rick Gamez |
Bob Dole
(retired U. S. Senator) attended. He is
a WW-II veteran of the 10th Mountain Division and was wounded in Italy |
Elizabeth Dole
(prior U.S. senator) was there with her husband |
Joe and Linda Hill
(on right) with French friends Dr. Pierre Henriet and Mae Lou Thomas |
|
All Normandy 'D-Day Plus 65' trip photos are a
multi-national mixture of work by Hervé Argoud, Hans DeBree, Rick
Gamez, Gene Garren,
Fred Hoek, Herbert Lahout, Randy Lewellen, Cyndi Mathews, Bill Nation, Dick O'Donnell,
Dominique Potier, Vivian Roger, Zane Schlemmer, Donald van den Bogert and Nelly
van Loo-Polley. Individual credits have not been
given. |
