Personnel from Canada's navy and army helped make 95-year-old Legion of Honour recipient Ron Bath's big moment in the spotlight a little bit brighter.
The retired able seaman and resident of Graystone Manor in Maple Ridge, B.C., was part of the Allies' D-Day landings as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).
He received France's highest order of merit from Consul General of france Philippe Sutter in a March 9, 2020, ceremony.
Celebrating that moment with him were members of Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver, Naval Reserve Unit HMCS Discovery, and the 15th Field Artillery Regiment.
“It's a great feeling and I am very proud to receive this medal. I was surprised and touched by the number of military personnel who attended,” said Bath.
The Legion of Honour was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and has been awarded to more than 93,000 people worldwide. In 2015, the French Government began honouring 1,000 Canadian veterans with the award to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing.
Bath was directly involved in many beach landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, and the days that followed, working as a signalman on landing craft with the RCN's 262nd Flotilla. Facing enemy fire and great peril, they ferried troops to the beaches of Normandy, including Juno and Omaha.
“Receiving this award has brought back memories of those I served with on the landing craft and D-Day itself,” said Bath.
In the final months of the war, he…
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