Around the County
Humble hero
George Wright receives France’s highest honour
George Wright stood stoically, if not a little sheepishly, in front of family, comrades and the congregation of St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Picton as Archdeacon Charles Morris pinned a medal on his blazer.
Morris read a letter from Nicolas Chapuis, France’s Ambassador to Canada, in a ceremony on Sunday.
The impressively decorated George Wright proudly displays his new award on his left lapel.
By order of the President of the Republic of France, as of June 21, 2016, you have been awarded the rank of Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour.
This distinction (the Legion of Honour is the highest national order of France) illustrates the profound gratitude that France would like to express to you. It is awarded in recognition of your personal involvement in the liberation of our country during World War II. Through you, France remembers the sacrifice of all your compatriots who came to liberate French soil.
Enlisting with the Hasting Prince Edward Regiment in 1940, Wright, who will be 96 years old in September, was recruited as a member of the FSSF (First Special Service Force), commonly known as the Devil’s Brigade. This suicide squad went first into enemy territory where no other units could be sent and they did not expect them to come out again.
“This is for all the boys who didn’t come back. They are the brave ones who should have this,” said Wright in reaction to the award.
Thank you Mr. Wright. My uncle, Robert Blake, was among that special group. Not until a few years before his death, did he ever mention the war and his part in it. It must be a difficult time to recollect and potentially relive. I thank you for your service and sacrifices. I thank you for giving those five critical years of your life. Without you and your fellow soldiers, our world and lives would be vastly different.