Becket man, 91, receives France's highest honor for service in WWII

Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA) ^ | 10/22/10 | Derek Gentile

[HalfIrish]

Becket man, 91, receives France's highest honor for service in WWII

By Derek Gentile, Berkshire Eagle Staff, 10/22/2010

BECKET -- At a solemn and at times moving ceremony on Thursday at Town Hall, Wesley J. Souliere, former second lieutenant, 104th Infantry, 26th Division, Yankee Division, was awarded France's highest accolade, the French Legion of Honor, in recognition of his "eminent service to the Republic of France" during World War II.

"It brings me a great pleasure to decorate you with the Legion of Honor as a token of our eternal gratitude," said Hamon Gregory, deputy counsel of the French Consulate in Boston. "I want to assure you that the younger generation of French citizens have not forgotten your service to our country. They are very aware of what you did. And they will never forget."

Gregory told Souliere that he was born in Normandy, which was the site of the D-Day landings, "and it is very important to me to meet a U.S. soldier who come to liberate my country."

Read the rest: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/local/ci_16402545

and the companion article by the reporter: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/local/ci_16402570

[HalfIrish]

Be sure to read both the original article and the companion piece written by the reporter. There are still French people who remember and honor the vets who won their freedom, a great story!

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[stockpirate]

For some reason my eyes are all fogged up, must be something in the air.

[HalfIrish]

Me, too. It’s rare to find such a story in the usually leftist Eagle, so it hits even harder.

[Gay State Conservative]

The Greatest Generation...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks HalfIrish.