FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The French government has awarded its highest honor to a 100-year-old Kentucky man who fought in World War II.
Retired Lt. Col. William Pollard was awarded the French Legion of Honor on Monday during a ceremony at the Kentucky Capitol. Consul General of France Guillaume Lacroix pinned the medal on Pollard, calling him "a true French hero."
Pollard was 25 in 1944 when he landed on Omaha Beach as part of the allied invasion of German-occupied France. He rescued 14 soldiers from a concrete caisson that was hit by enemy fire, according to his son, William Pollard Jr.
In a written statement read by his son, Pollard said he was honored to receive the award and his thoughts were with his late wife and the many soldiers he served with.
