Honoring Those Who Served

I apologize for the not so crafty post, but my grandfather's birthday and subsequent honoring by the country of France was a momentous event in our family.  This post is dedicated to all those who served in World War II and their sacrifices, great and small.  

My grandfather and five other men were honored for their service to the French people during World War II.  They were honored with the Chevalier dans l'Ordre national de la Legion d'Honneur at a presentation ceremony in Denver during our recent trip there.  My grandfather was very moved by this honor, thinking he had not earned it because he didn't have hand to hand combat during his time in France.  However, he was a part of the support staff and the army would be glad to correct him- they needed all personnel, support and those on the front lines, to win the war.  My grandfather, like many other veterans, has experienced  survivor's guilt even though it has been more than 60 years ago.

Honorable Jeffery Richards, Esq., Bob Burrows and Col. Wesley West, USAF (ret)

Photos of the program- each honoree was graced with a summary of their service in the war and a special recounting of their effort and sacrifices.  Col. Wesley West was the master of ceremonies and the Honorary Consul General of France, Jeffery Richards bestowed the medal on each recipient.    The men were very humble about receiving the honor- mostly considering themselves nothing special.  Those of us in attendance who knew each man well disagreed and were very pleased to be able to attend the ceremony.  My grandfather was featured in a local news story about the event and you can watch that short video here.  I share this with you more as a memorial for me and my family, but hope that you, too, are pleased that we as a people have not forgotten those who served so long ago.
 
Thanks for looking through our family memories.  It is good to not forget- both in the long past, the recent past and these present events where we can see how very precious family connections are.