At 102 years old, World War II veteran Vernon Mitchell has an impressive collection of medals awarded for his service in the European theater.
And on Jan. 26, the Fort Worth resident added another special one: France’s Legion of Honor, the country’s highest order of merit.
In a crowded room of about 300 veterans during a Roll Call Luncheon at Birchman Baptist Church, Mitchell received the medal from Mathieu Rouleau, vice consul of the French Consulate in Houston. Mitchell was surrounded by his large family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren during the presentation.
“I stand here today, humbled by your bravery. You were fighting far away from home for the values we hold dear. We are forever grateful to you for participating in the liberation of France and Europe,” Rouleau said.
The Legion of Honor, created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte after the French Revolution, is meant to reward civilians and soldiers who achieved great things in the service of France. Considered the highest, most prestigious decoration in France, it is given to individuals who exhibit merit or bravery.
Mitchell has also received the following medals: Purple Heart, U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze campaign stars and a World War II Victory Medal.
Following the pinning of the medal, Mitchell shared how his regiment — the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division — arrived in Northern Ireland and went on to Wales before landing on Omaha Beach on June 7, 1944, the day after the launch of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France.
“There was still a lot of action going on there even though they had cleared most of the beach,” Mitchell said onstage. “We fought our way through it and came out all right.”
He was wounded in the leg by an exploding German artillery shell but eventually returned to service for the Ardennes campaign, also known as the Battle of the Bulge.
He also participated in the Rhineland campaign into Germany and Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, where he was assigned to guard German prisoners of war.
Mitchell was born May 5, 1921, in San Augustine, Texas, and enlisted in the Army in 1940 in Houston. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 29, 1945, at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.
Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or @ssadek19.
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