IT WAS A SPECIAL day for Ted Owens, a Normandy Veteran from Pembroke Dock on Thursday, January 29, as he was formally presented to Her Excellency Sylvie Bermann, the French Ambassador to the UK along with other dignitaries.
Ted was one of twelve Welsh veterans who had taken part in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.
Although he had already received his Legion d’Honneur before Christmas through the post, the embassy decided that a special ceremony was warranted so that the ambassador representing French President Francois Hollande could thank the Welsh veterans in person.
Among the dignitaries were Stephen Crabb MP, Secretary of State for Wales and Pembrokeshire Preseli MP; David Melding AM, the Deputy Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly; Dr Peter Beck, The Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, representing the Queen; Leighton Andrews AM, Minister for Public Services in the Welsh Government and Marie Brousseau-Navarro, the Honorary French Consul to Wales.
Accompanying Ted to the ceremony were his son Graham and Peter Kraus, Mayor of Pembroke Dock.
The Legion d’Honneur is the highest award that France can give to those who serve their country and during the presentation the ambassador told the veterans in French that they were being made “Un Chevalier de l’ordre du Legion d’Honneur” (that makes Ted a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour).
After it was all over Ted said: “This has been one of the proudest days of my life.”
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