Don't ask, don't get:
Boon appeals to vets to come forward for Legion of Honour Medal
Veterans who fought for the liberation of France on D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy are eligible for France's highest decoration.
The 70th anniversary of D-Day is next June 6 and the French government is looking to bestow the Legion of Honour on surviving Canadian veterans.
The catch is, the application must be in Ottawa by Dec. 31. Veteran and service officer Art Boon is strongly encouraging all veterans who fought in the campaign to liberate France between June 6 and Aug. 31, 1944 to stop in at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 and pick up an application form between 8:30 a.m. and noon.
“We don’t want anyone to miss out, there's a short time line,” Boon said. “It's history and we should have it. Too often we walk away and say's it's not important. That's not good enough. This is something I think all veterans should have here.”
Once the form is complete it should be dropped off at the Legion. Boon will send them to Ottawa. He would like to have them back by Dec. 23.
“They may not all get it, but it's important to apply,” Boon said.
Boon believes there are at least 20 veterans here who are eligible. Veterans who don’t belong to the legion are urged to come forward too.
Boon, a gunner, landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. He knows just how tough the fighting was and wants to see all eligible veterans given the honour.
There was enough noise and chaos on D-Day for everyone there to be deaf, he said. Normandy was “a rough place.”
Two cemeteries, each with about 2,000 dead Canadian soldiers, are evidence of the cost. The survivors of the fighting were never able to forget what they saw and experienced and they should be recognized.
“It's important they remember the ones who came back here. They carry the scars with them,” Boon said.
Second World War veterans returned with post-traumatic stress too but there were no facilities to help them, he stressed.
“We took the uniform off and became a civilian and were supposed to adjust. You can’t do that,” he said.
Boon was among six Canadian veterans awarded the Legion of Honour in Toronto in 2007 by the French ambassador.
About the Legion of Honour
• The Legion of Honour was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.
• The decoration is France’s highest honour and is awarded for excellent civil or military conduct.
• The medal is a five-armed cross with a v-shape cut into the ends usually with a laurel wreath.
Who
Veterans who fought in France between June 6 and Aug. 31, 1944.
What
Applications for the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France.
When
Applications are due back at the legion by Dec. 23 to reach Ottawa by Dec. 31.
Where
Applications can be picked up at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 between 8:30 a.m. and noon starting today.
Why
The French government wants to recognize Canadian veterans who participated in the campaign to liberate France as the 70th-anniversary approaches.
http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2013/12/11/boon-appeals-to-vets-to-come-forward-for-legion-of-honour-medal
