Marion
I received an answer from a representative at Normandy Memoire (see below).
Also read the 2nd paragraph about veterans receiving a medal and the process involved in doing that. They can choose the town they want to receive it in and then have a private ceremony with their family and a representative of the city.
I am having difficulty finding information on this and the AMerican Battle MOnuments Commission doesn't have info because it's a French honor. I told Martha Sell at ABMC that it would be nice for families to have a link from their site in regards to this.
Carolyn
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From: Anne-Céline Morand
Date: March 9, 2009 7:16:00 AM EDT
Subject: Re: 800 British Veterans
Dear Carolyn,
The Normandy Veterans Association is a British association that commemorates the British soldiers that participated to the D-Day and Normandy Campaign. For the 65th Anniversary of these events, they have planned to send 800 British veterans in Normandy next June.
Our association is Normandie mémoire, a French association. Its is to enhance the region’s cultural, educational and tourist resources by organising, co-ordinating and promoting the operation and development of sites, museums and events that are linked in some way to D-Day, the Battle of Normandy, the heroic deeds of the Resistance or the memory of the martyrs of Nazi Occupation and the civilian victims of the Liberation.
Its purpose is to lead any action developing the Historical Area of the Battle of Normandy, to encourage the local actors to take part in the improvement of the whole attractiveness of museums and sites, to combine the means to assure the historical truth in all the evocations of the Battle of Normandy, to favour the deepening of historical researches and museum researches. So we don’t organize sending of veterans.
But your father can come with a US association, like the British Normandy Veteran Association. Or he can come by himself. He doesn’t need to have an invitation.
If your father is an ex-US army soldier that fought during the D-Day and the Normandy campaign (6th of June 1994 to the 24th of August 1944) only, he is entitled to receive a decoration during a medal-giving ceremony. It’s a present to thank the veterans for their fight for freedom, so your father won’t have to pay.
The proceedings are as following:
- you have to contact the city council of the town or village where your father would like to receive this medal
- precise his name, surname, date of birth, regiment as soldier during the D-Day
- precise also the number of persons that will come with him to the medal-giving ceremony.
How to choose the town or village? It’s the choice of your father. Maybe he would like to return on a place that he has known during the D-Day and the battle of Normandy , or maybe he would prefer getting the medal in another place. Whatever is his choice, he has to make him known.
You will find the calendar of the commemorating events of June 2009 on this link to our website (www.normandiememoire.com): http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60Anglai...evenements.html
There are many events in many towns and villages in Normandy during all the summer.
Each event will include preparations and security, so you would be kind to make the city council of the town or village where your father would like to go know:
- that he is coming there
- his name, surname, date of birth, regiment as soldier during the D-Day
- the number of persons that will come with him to the event.
I hope you find here what you wanted to know. But when there are some other questions don't hesitate to contact us again.
Best regards,
Anne-Céline Morand
Normandie mémoire
88, rue Saint Martin
14000 CAEN
Tel. : 02 31 94 80 26
Fax : 02 31 94 84 97
www.normandiememoire.com
