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Irv Shanley and cadet Travis Allard
French Consul General Francois Gauthier and Irv Shanley |
On April 28, 2006, twelve New
England-area WWII veterans were honored in a special ceremony held at
Norwich University in Vermont, the birthplace of today’s ROTC program.
The ceremony acknowledged the veterans’ participation in the liberation of
France during WWII. Among the veterans present was Northborough,
Massachusetts resident, Irving T. Shanley, LTC (Ret). Shanley was a
paratrooper in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, attached to the 82nd
Airborne, during his D-Day jump into Normandy. After WWII, he continued
to serve our country through the Korean War and Vietnam, retiring in 1969
after 26 years in the military. Veterans were assigned a Norwich
University Cadet escort for the day. Travis Allard of Swanton, VT, a
junior at Norwich University escorted Mr. Shanley.
In his
opening remarks, Michael Depaulo, special liaison to the Consul General of
France for Veterans Affairs in Boston, mentioned that this is the first
time a ceremony for the award of a French medal has been conducted on this
side of the Atlantic.
The Legion of Honor was first handed out to American WWII soldiers during
a ceremony in Normandy, France two years ago.
When
presenting the awards at Norwich University, French Consul General
Francois Gauthier said “These men were present and participated in what
was, perhaps, the defining moment of the 20th century: the defeat of the
Axis. They had the courage to leave their American homes and their
families for a continent and a people they barely knew.” Most of the
young soldiers who fought in WWII had never even been to Europe yet risked
all to ensure the liberty of others. “For this, we are and will always be
grateful,” Gauthier said.
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