In recent years, the French Consulate General in Atlanta has accelerated the application vetting process so World War II veterans such as Bob Wann could be honored while they're alive.
Mr. Wann grew up in Scottsboro, Ala., and joined the Army fresh out of high school. He was an Army tank commander during World War II who partook in the breakout from Normandy, or Operation Cobra, and the liberation of Europe.
This career railroad employee, who eventually settled in Decatur after an honorable discharge, seldom spoke of his service. Every now and again, though, he'd offer up stories to family, said Robert M. "Matt" Wann, a son from Conyers.
"I won't say he tried to forget it, but he didn't dwell on it," the son said. "To me, of course, he was a great man, a great Christian man who did his job as he saw it and served his country and his God."
On Feb. 10, 13 World War II veterans received France's highest honor for the roles they played in the liberation of that country in 1944 and 1945. Staff Sgt. Robert E. "Bob" Wann was one of the recipients of the Legion of Honor.
"France is eternally grateful for America's help in both world wars, so we believe it is important to show our gratitude to people like Mr. Wann," said Claire Collobert, press attache for the Consulate General of France in Atlanta. "It is a way to keep this memory alive."
Nearly four months after receiving his medal, Mr. Wann of Decatur died Friday from complications of melanoma at VistaCare Hospice. He was 92. A funeral was held Tuesday at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home, which handled arrangements.
Mr. Wann had gotten out of the regular Army, joined the Reserve and started working for a railroad in Huntsville, Ala., when he was called back to military service in Europe. After the war, he relocated to metro Atlanta for a job with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. He held various positions in a career of more than 30 years and retired as a foreman.
The National Order of the Legion of Honor was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. The medal, which honors service to France, used to only be bestowed to veterans who could show proof of heroic acts during World War II. That has changed in recent years along with the lengthy application process that Pascal Le Deunff, the consul general in Atlanta, had wanted to expedite.
"We have definitely speeded up the process since the year 2000, and now every single World War II veteran is considered a hero and entitled to receive the Legion of Honor," Mrs. Collobert said. "We honored nine veterans last week."
Mr. Wann's son said the February ceremony to recognize his father with 12 other veterans was exceptional as well as revealing.
"They read a synopsis of what each individual had done," he said. "There were things I learned that I didn't know about his service. I was proud of my father."
Additional survivors include one grandson.
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