"Your sacrifices will not be forgotten." Five Colorado army veterans were awarded with the French Legion of Honor.
Five northern Colorado veterans, well into the decades of their lives, came together along with 100 family members and friends to be awarded for their courage, tenacity, and valor. The French government presented these five World War II vets from Colorado with the country's highest honor -- the French Legion of Honor. The Honorary Consul for France here in Colorado, Jeffery Richards, presented Le Moyne Anderson, Oliver Lee Bashor, Joe Hoberman, Samuel Lesser, and Richard Mann with medals during the celebration held at the Colorado National Guard's Windsor Readiness Center. The medals denote that they each had been given the rank of chevalier (knight) in the National Order of the Legion of Honor. The award is France's highest honor, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte who strongly believed soldiers needed to be honored, having declared, "Do you think that you would be able to make men fight by reasoning? Never. That is good only for the scholar in his study. The soldier needs glory, distinctions, rewards." And so the French Legion of Honor, or Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur, was born.
Hoberman lamented the honor, stating he accepted his on behalf of his friends still in France, and "for the many more that just didn't live long enough to receive this honor. So on their behalf, I accept it."
Proceeding the ceremony, Bashor claimed what pretty much every veteran states when it comes to duty: "All we did was do what we were supposed to do, and do the best you can." Though, those were not the claims of those celebrating these brave men. Check out the coverage by CBS Denver:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZcwFj2pAPo
Those there to honor the men spoke of their bravery, valor, and determination to do that very job to help our allies.
I'm honored to thank these heroes sitting here today for their courage and devotion to the great cause of freedom," said Army Col. Scott Sherman. "You sacrificed and really forged peace and made the United States and Western Europe prosperous and free."The honored men were in great spirits, cracking jokes and taking in the day that was dedicated to honoring them. As Richards presented each veteran with their medal, giving them a presentation speech in French, Anderson said "merci" after receiving his medal, but was subsequently one-upped by Mann who gave a hearty "merci beaucoup," when he received his medal. Each veteran has a laundry list of military accomplishments, as well as numerous examples of being exemplary in their positions, making them more than deserving of the award they received this week. These men will forever be remembered for being champions of freedom, much like their fallen brothers and the men that will serve after them.
