Mr. Frank Vetere was awarded the French Legion of Honor by the Honorary Consul General of France, Mr. Jack Cowan, in Seattle, WA on April 11, 2015 at the annual meeting of the Northwest Chapter. Many family members and friends were among the 100 + attendees.

Frank was initially trained as a Bridge Builder Combat Engineer in 1943 and on July 24, 1944, he and his Battalion arrived on Utah Beach, He saw combat in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Luxembourg. On December 16, 1944 (the day that the “Bulge” began), he was in the Eupen Forest. He remembers being in Brand, Germany (just outside of Aachen). His Battalion held Germany in check at Monchau. They constructed bridges over the Roer, Rhine, Weser, and Elbe Rivers. Prior to receiving this medal, he had been awarded 2 Overseas Bars, American Campaign Medal, and a European African Middle Eastern Theater Medal with 4 Battle Stars.

Submitted by Doris Davis, Associate