Barrington man receives French Legion of Honour

BARRINGTON, Ill. – A Barrington man has been awarded the Knight of the French Legion of Honor medal more than seventy years after he served in France during World War II.

The Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/29ufwkM ) reports that 92-year-old William R. Colton is set to be honoured Saturday at a formal ceremony organized by the French consulate in Chicago. He received his medal last month.

Colton served as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers and helped build hospitals and bridges in France. He also served at the Battle of the Bulge.

The Legion of Honor was instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte, and is one of France’s highest honours.

Colton said that he had no idea that he was being vetted for the honour. Colton’s son, Tom, and his son’s wife reached out to the French to initiate the process more than a year ago. Tom said his father was very emotional when he received the medal.

“It was a complete surprise to me,” Colton said. “I was sort of shaken up, to tell you the truth, because I wasn’t expecting it.”

Colton’s family said that he has always been reluctant to share certain aspects of what he saw while serving in France.

Colton has revisited the country several times, including on his second honeymoon in 1984.

“I like France,” Colton said. “It’s a very, very interesting country. It’s so different from here.”

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Information from: Daily Herald, http://www.dailyherald.com