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The Legion of Honor: A Personal Story
by Jo Dunn
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France's highest honor is given to people
from all walks of life. Recently, the author found herself thinking
about her father, while researching the history of the medal.
My father used to talk about Paris -- about
being a soldier "over there" during the first world war.
All his life he had been proud of his service with the "Fighting
69th," for which he was awarded several medals.
So when I heard that the French government
marked the 80th anniversary of the armistice of WWI in 1998 by conferring
the Legion of Honor on American and other allied veterans of that
war, my thoughts naturally turned to my father.
When we were kids he used to take us to
the Memorial Day parade to see the veterans marching. The trees
and the whole parade route were hung with flags, and my father would
always point out the oldest grey-haired men, the last surviving
Civil War veterans, who had to be driven down the parade route.
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The author's father, Frank
Dunn, served in the infantry in France during World War I.
© photo courtesty of Jo
Dunn |
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If my father was
still alive now, he would be older than most of them -- but he passed
away more than 30 years ago. He wouldn't receive the highest honor
bestowed by France. But 1,500 other veterans who were still living
received the award in this moving gesture of good will.
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I was intrigued. I never knew that France
gave medals to Americans -- at least not "ordinary" soldiers,
and even civilians. But Americans from all walks of life have, over
the years, been recipients of the award created by Napoleon Bonaparte
on May 19, 1802.
THE MEDAL
The ORDRE ROYALE DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR
is the premier order of the French republic and is conferred without
regard to national origin on the sole condition that whoever is
awarded swears to uphold liberty and equality. The emperor intended
membership in the Legion of Honor to be a distinction of such illustriousness
that it would fire people's imagination, spur soldiers to valor
and be held in high esteem in other countries.
When Napoleon established this new order,
he saw it as a replacement for the many "royal" orders
that had been created over the years.
Royal orders first appeared during the
Middle Ages, when the Knight was the most significant military figure
of the feudal system. Among the first orders of knighthood, established
in the midst of the Crusades, were the Knights of Malta, and the
Knights Templars. These orders had relgious origins. However, various
european monarchs quickly began founding their own, purely secular,
orders of knights. Many of these orders would later became strong
political powers, often involved in intrigue, behind the scenes.
French kings had established several orders,
with the Order of St. Louis, the most popular.
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Honorees
come from
All Walks of Life |
Though
the veterans were awarded the medal to recognize their military
contribution, the legion of honor is esteemed internationally
as the highest honor given civilians for outstanding achievements
in cultural, scientific, academic and humanitarian endeavors.
From
the start the honor was awarded to individuals from all walks
of life. Film director Martin Scorsese was inducted into the
order in 1998, for being "a man who is capable of making
us dream."
NASA
astronaut Eileen Collins, who was the first woman to command
a space mission, received the legion of Honor award in September
of 2000. The award cited Collins' "inspirational achievement
as the first female shuttle commander, her spirit of cooperation
with French astronauts and her part in creating a cooperative
relationship between France and NASA."
France's
favorite American comedian, Jerry Lewis was inducted in 1984
for his accomplishments, not only as a performer, but for
his public service in working to improve the lives of people
with disabilities.
In
June of 1999 American wine critic Robert Parker, regarded
as the world's top expert on French wine was made a Chevalier.
Parker was cited as a figure who "served France by bringing
prestige to the country with his particular gift." Chirac
said Parker was the man who taught America about French wine.
Culinary
legend and TV-cooking show host Julia Child was awarded the
medal in November 2000 for her role in introducing ordinary
Americans to principles of French haute cuisine.
Other
recent American recipients of the award include: astronaut
Neil Armstrong, general and secretary of state Colin Powell,
former US president Ronald Reagan, general Norman Schwarzkopf,
and actors Gregory Peck and Robert DeNiro.
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The royal orders were all abolished during
the revolution. But Napoleon saw the need to officially honor outstanding
service and merit, and so he instituted the first award that would
not be conferred exculsively for military valor -- the Legion of
Honor.
Based on the principle of equality between
military and civilian, and in the different kinds of services rendered
to the country, this new order reflected the ideals of the revolution.
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The legion of honor medal
(Above) , was given to surviving World War I veterans
in ceremonies like this (Below) all over the United States.
© courtesy Embassy of France |
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Napoleon served as the grand master of
the order. A grand council of seven grand officers were in charge
of 15 units or cohorts. The Legion of Honor was retained during
the Restoration, and Victor Hugo and Lamartine were made knights
in 1825.
The original statutes were slightly amended
over the years, but in 1962 General de Gaulle restored the Legion
of Honor to its original concept as a general military and civil
order of merit. Today the award can be given to men and women, French
citizens and foreigners, civilians and military personnel.
There are actually five orders to the Legion
of Honor: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Chevalier
(Knight).
THE VETERANS ARE HONORED
The veterans of WWI who served in France,
including female nurses, were admitted to the Legion of Honor with
the rank of Chevalier. The French government wished to acknowledge
the extraordinary courage and self sacrifice of the Allied soldiers
in a tangible way on the 80th anniversary of the Armistice. This
decision honored the American men and women who, like my father,
risked their lives on French soil in terrible conditions and who
saw so many of their fellow soldiers die in the muddy trenches.
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President Chirac said the award "underscores
the friendship that has existed between the United States and France
for more than 200 years, and our mutual loyalty, tested in adversity
from the fields of Yorktown to the beaches of Normandy."
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Living veterans were honored in a traditional
ceremony with the words: "Monsieur X, au nom du Presidente
de la Republique française et en vertu des pouvoirs qui nous
sont conferes, nous vous faisons chevalier de la Legion d'honneur
(Mr. X, in the name of the President of the French Republic and
by virtue of the powers vested in me, we hereby make you chevalier
of the Legion of Honor)."
They were each given the coveted scarlet
ribbon from which the cross with it's motto "Honneur et Patrie"
is suspended.
In presenting the award to the elderly
veterans, Chirac cited the decisive role of American troops in the
re-taking of the Saint Mihiel salient, in the Meuse-Argonne offensive
and at Château-Thierry, where they helped save Paris.
Arthur Walter East, thrilled to be receiving
the award at age 102, still remembered dodging bullets and mortar
shells while serving in the trenches in France. 100-year-old Michael
Francis' recollections of his service in France, were mostly of
the ordinary people he helped. He and other members of his company
"adopted" French families, providing them with blankets
and other necessities so they could survive the winter in homes
that had been destroyed by the Germans.
I know my father would have pretended it
was "no big deal." He would have hid his pleasure at being
recognized for his actions on that battlefield so long ago. But
he would have gone out to buy a new suit just for the occassion.
And he would have been so very proud.
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The author's
father (right) with one of his daugthers and her children.
©
courtesy of Jo Dunn |
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Knights wear the decoration hanging
from a red silk ribbon on the left side of the chest.
Civilians may display a narrow red ribbon or rosette without
insignia in the suit buttonhole; knights wear the ribbon;
officers, the rosette; commanders, the rosette and silver
barrette; grand officers, the rosette and a barrette part
silver part gold; grand crosses, the rosette on a gold barrette.
The above insignia are replaced by
bars on uniforms.
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