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A Georgia World War II veteran who participated in the Normandy landings and is thought to be the last living witness to the German surrender at Reims, France, was awarded the French government’s highest honor Friday.
Luciano “Louis” Graziano, 98, was bestowed the Legion of Honor medal during a ceremony at the First United Methodist Church of Thomson, Ga., a town about 30 miles west of Augusta.
Chosen by the French president, in this case Emmanuel Macron, the Legion of Honor recognizes both French citizens and foreigners for serving the French Republic and its ideals, both in civilian affairs such as business and on the battlefield.
Entering active duty Jan. 22, 1943, Mr. Graziano participated in the third wave of the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, known as D-Day, when Allied troops undertook a massive amphibious assault to wrest control of the northern French region — and soon after, much of Western Europe — from German occupation.
As a utilities foreman during the Northern France and Rhineland military campaigns, Mr. Graziano oversaw the maintenance of buildings operated by American forces in Reims, France, including the technical school that became known as the “little red schoolhouse” where Germany signed unconditional surrender documents ending the bloody conflict in Europe on May 7, 1945. The French consulate in Atlanta said Mr. Graziano is thought to be the only surviving witness to the event.
French Consul General Vincent Hommeril was on hand to pin the medal on Mr. Graziano’s jacket, praising his sacrifice and that of many other Americans who helped France preserve the freedoms it shares with the United States.
“You are a true hero. Your example is an inspiration for the future and your legacy provides a moral compass for generations to come,” Mr. Hommeril was quoted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as saying.
He added in a statement to shared with Global Atlanta: “As a child, I remember discussing with the war with my parents and grandparents. They told me how very happy they were to see and welcome American and other Allied soldiers – during this time of great darkness.”
Mr. Graziano, who wore a tie with diagonal stripes in the colors of the French flag, received a standing ovation by a crowd numbering in the hundreds, the AJC reported. Three generations of Grazianos spoke, including a son who also served in the Vietnam War and received three purple hearts.
In addition to the French honor, Mr. Graziano has been awarded with the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with two Bronze Campaign Stars, the American Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal, among other honors.
The celebration of Franco-American friendship Sept. 17 provided a counterpoint to sobering news that cast a pall over the U.S.’s oldest alliance that same day.
In a drastic diplomatic measure, France recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia Friday to protest a weapons deal announced earlier last week. Known as AUKUS, the deal will see the U.S. supply nuclear-powered submarines and related technologies to Australia, undercutting a $60 billion deal France had inked with the Pacific nation for diesel-powered subs.
France says it was not consulted in advance of the deal and was only notified just before the announcement. Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian called it a “stab in the back” and a “brutal” decision in line with something former President Donald Trump would have done, a blow to President Joe Biden’s bid to rebuild fractured European alliances.
The consulate, meanwhile, which covers the six Southeastern U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Carolinas, has three Legion of Honor ceremonies planned for World War II veterans this month alone. Celebrations had been postponed for a year until this May due to COVID-19.
In June, Mr. Hommeril traveled to another city near Augusta to bestow the Legion of Honor on seven-term mayor of Grovetown, Ga.
Dennis Trudeau, 96, participated in D-Day as a Canadian paratrooper, was wounded in battle and captured as a prisoner of war, working on a railway coal mine until his release in May 1945, according to the Augusta Chronicle. He then served in the U.S. Army until 1967 and as a civilian signal instructor until 1975.
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