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France: Knight of the Legion of Honor named age-old African-American

African American once a soldier, now 100 years old, who was seriously injured during operations after Landing in Normandywas named Knight of the Legion of Honor at a formal ceremony to pay tribute to his person by France in New Yorkwith hints at the historical case of blacks on USA.

During the ceremony, at her consulate general France in the Manhattanpresent of the honored person Osiola Louis FletcherAmerican and French officials, his daughter Jacqueline Stritz stressed – in French – “thank you for pointing me to America that the lives of blacks have always mattered “, referring indirectly but clearly to the movement Black Lives Matter (“The lives of blacks count”).

“During the of World War II“He was respected, loved and appreciated by the French people,” she said Stritz referring, excited, to a century of her father’s life, who was found by the US Army in her police station New York before becoming an English teacher and activist for the rights of her black community New York.

Born on January 16, 1922, a child of a poor family African Americans from Brooklynorphaned by his father after the age of three, o Mr. Fletcher enlisted in their army USA τον February of 1943. He would be on the beaches of Normandy one week after landing, on June 6, 1944, specializing in crane operations.

He was injured several times in the legs by countless fragments of horrific bombings and beach fights, then, more seriously, when a German rocket hit a cargo ship, he said. Consul General Jeremy Robert before giving him his badges Knight of the Legion of Honor.

“You risked your life to liberate my country, the Franceand to release it Europe by the Nazis. “People like you have saved millions of lives.” Mr. Robertcharacterizing the honored “hero of USA“And” her hero France».

“You remained loyal to your brothers in arms, even though you were seriously injured and despite the discrimination you faced as a black soldier,” the French diplomat added.

THE Mr. Fletcherin a wheelchair, took the floor for a moment to say, in a teasing tone, that the French “made us believe that we saved them, but they helped us save them”, referring to the action of the French guerrillas against the Nazis.

Almost 78 years after Invasion of Normandythe Jacqueline Stritz thanked the French government for the “extraordinary honor” it bestowed on its father by anointing him Knight of the Legion of Honor, while recalling that her father received only in 2021, at the age of 99, the famous medal Purple Heartawarded by the President of USA to soldiers wounded in battle.

“Despite the fact, or perhaps because he is African-American, a descendant Indians of Of America“He always had to work and fight hard to get what he deserved,” he added.

THE Legion of Honorfounded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, counts 92,000 members, civilians and military, selected for their “distinguished services in the nation” France.


Source: News Beast

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