image

Over 70 years after he landed on Juno Beach on D-Day and fought to liberate France and Europe, 91 year old Graham Elliott of North Bay has been honoured by the French Government.

At a ceremony today (Wednesday) at Marina Point, Elliott became a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Honorary Consul of France Jean-Charles Cachon says this is the equivalent to the Order of Canada. “It’s the highest ranking French decoration. The Legion of Honour for Military Reasons is given to very few people.”

Elliott’s son Kerry thanked MP Anthony Rota’s office for their work in helping get the honour for their father, as the deadline to apply had passed. “Ian Hall of Mr Rota’s office really did the heavy lifting and took the ball and really did a good job with it.”
He goes on to say, “it’s really nice of the French Government to recognize these veterans.”

Kerry Elliott also wishes Veterans Affairs would’ve gotten the word out before the deadline, so more veterans could’ve been honoured.

To that end, Rota says if there are other veterans looking to see if they can apply to receive the honour, he’s encouraging them to contact his office.

 

image