On November 14, the Lycée Français de New York hosted a ceremony honoring 15 American veterans of World War 2 who were promoted to the French Legion of Honor for their service to France. The award has a prestigious history since its creation by Napoleon Bonaparte. Among its distinguished recipients was General Dwight Eisenhower. Watch the video of the ceremony.
Our Y9 classes study World War 2 so the ceremony presented an opportune history lesson for our students. Lycée students presented each veteran individually during the event.
We are happy to share with you excerpts from their reflections on what they learned from their brief interviews with these living witnesses of World War 2.
These reflections are part of a history project that they are completing with assistance from American veterans.
Presenting Mr. Goldberg was such an honorable experience. I was so fortunate to be able to present a hero who fought for democracy and freedom. The experience and all that I have learned from reading about Mr. Goldberg made me more aware and grateful for the veterans’ inspiring contributions.
Annabelle de C.
The event was very exciting for me. I was really happy that I could meet and talk to veterans from World War 2. Some of these veterans even took part in D-Day, a day which in school I was always to remember, and be grateful to those who gave our lives for the good of future generations. My veteran, Martin Gen, was very honored to be there, he even took my speech, to keep it as a memory, from this day! I was very honored to be there as well, and I thank you, for giving me the possibility of being and speaking at this event.
Kaya W.
Getting to meet Mr Galofaro and the other veterans was a once in a lifetime experience. I felt that talking about them in front of the auditorium was a real honor. I was impressed to be able to talk to members of the greatest generation. Most of them told me that I should enjoy today because nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. I will never forget those veterans and their valorous lives and their fight for our freedom and democracy.
Joseph T.
I was incredibly honored to have been able to present Mr. Alvin Baxter-Green at the Ceremony for the Veterans of the Second World War, and to have watched him be awarded the French Legion of Honor, a prestigious award to honor and thank him for his heroism and bravery. I learned from this experience that it is important to never forget the valiant and courageous acts of the past and to be grateful for the sacrifices that people have made for this amazing country and to make sure we would have a safe and joyful future. Mr. Baxter-Green, I cannot thank you enough for the amazing things you have done for France and the United States, and I was incredibly happy to have been able to present you and share the prowess and valor that you demonstrated when you fought in the war.
Audrey K.
About the Author :
Arthur Plaza holds a Ph.D in History and French Studies from New York University. He also studied at Sciences-Po and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research in France in 2004-2005. Part of his research was published in the collective volume entitled “Politiques de la laïcité au XXe siècle” (PUF, 2007). In addition, he has been an editorial assistant at the scholarly journal, French Politics, Culture & Society.