Today’s Star Spangled Salute honors 97-year-old World War II Army Veteran PFC Lucien Des Lauriers. In World War II, Lucien deployed to Europe in 1944. He was an infantry rifleman and heavy weapons operator on D-Day in Normandy, and he was fluent in French. It was that skill that served him well as an interpreter during the war. Lucien said, “I was an interpreter and when we hit Paris, our truck went under the Eiffel Tower and we parked there and went four levels down,” said Des Lauriers as he described meeting the French army officer and statesman, Charles de Gaulle. The other day, surrounded by his family, France’s Consul General honored Lucien for his service and contributions 80 years ago. It was at that ceremony Lucien was awarded the Medal of the Legion of Honor, the highest and most prestigious French award a person can receive. Lucien also earned two Purple Heart medals, the EAME Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the and the American Campaign Medal. Congratulations Lucien, and THANK YOU for your service.
