BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) - France is giving 26 Florida veterans its highest distinction for fighting alongside the country during World War II.
The French Consulate will award the veterans the insignia of the “Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor” on Thursday during a ceremony at the First Presbyterian Church in Boynton Beach.
The Legion was founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Philippe Letrilliart, the Consul General of France in Miami, said during a Veterans Day ceremony that France decided about a decade ago to grant the honor to all the U.S. veterans who fought on the French side.
Notable Americans who have received the award include: Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Dwight D. Eisenhower and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
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