103-year-old Army veteran honored in France

By Larry Davis and Mike O’Connor& Another chapter in the inspiring life of 103-year-old Richard Stewart was written this past June 6 in Normandy, France, where the U.S. Army veteran was bestowed the French Legion of Honor Medal during the 80th anniversary commemoration of World War II’s D-Day invasion. In 1944, when Mr. Stewart, then an army private, hit the beaches of Normandy, he helped make history not only for his country, but for freedom in a larger sense. As a member of the Signal Corps, he was among only about 2,000 African American soldiers to take part in the invasion. Eighty years later to the exact date, the Lincoln Heights resident became one of 11 American D-Day veterans to receive the Legion Of Honor Medal – France’s highest decoration – during an emotional ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach.& The medal was presented to Mr. Stewart by French President Emmanuel Macron at the observance, which also included U.S. President Joe and First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and numerous other world leaders. U.S. Army Veteran Richard Stewart, 103, of Lincoln Heights, was bestowed the French Legion of Honor Medal...