From the desk of:
Adrian Grice, State Veterans Affairs Director
grice@vab.state.ms.us
The Republic of France can award the Legion of Honor medal to World War II vets who served in France, in the air space above France, or the waters offshore if vets provided extraordinary service which assisted in the liberation of France as outlined in the e mail below . If you believe that you or another family member qualifies, submit info (see below) through Mrs Rowland in Hattiesburg, MS, to the Consulate of France in Atlanta, GA, for Mississippi World War II vets to qualify for the French Legion of Honor medal. If you know any qualifying WWII vets, please encourage them or their family to contact me to assist them in submitting the necessary documentation (see below). This would be "big doings" if we can arrange to have the Republic of France award this rare honor to a Mississippi Veteran!
Qualifications:
Veterans applying for the Legion of Honor need to have proof of an act of bravery (that is how the French consulate puts it) during one of the battles in France, land, air, or sea during WWII. This is usually recognized in the US with the soldier receiving a congressional medal of Honor, a Siver Star or a Bronze Star. Veterans having any of these will need to provide a copy of their Honorable Discharge, the diploma of the medals received, and any press article relating to them and what they did during WWII.
Adrian Grice, MS State Veterans Affairs Board
e-mail: grice@vab.state.ms.us
601-576-4856