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Brookfield World War II Veteran Receives Highest Military French Decoration

Retired Lt. Col. Edward Tyre was presented with the French Legion of Honor over the weekend in Madison for his efforts in helping liberate France.

World War II veteran Lt. Col. Edward Tyre of Brookfield received France's highest military decoration for his courage in flying combat missions during the war. 

Paul Graham, the general consul of France in Chicago, presented the French Legion of Honor to Tyre in a ceremony on Saturday where he was thanked for helping liberate the French, reported the Wisconsin National Guard. 

Tyre, 88, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and flew 50 combat missions over Italy, France and Germany from October 1944 to April 1945.

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The Legion of Honor is the equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor.

"When Lt. Col. Tyre graduated high school in 1942, our nation was still reeling from the deadly attack at Pearl Harbor and Europe was under Nazi rule," said Maj. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, in the National Guard report. "Evil was threatening to extinguish freedom and it was difficult to imagine reversing the fortunes of the Third Reich and the Japanese Empire. However, men like Lt. Col. Tyre — who comprise our greatest generation — answered the call and saved the world."

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Tyre has also been a recipient of the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, European Theater Campaign Medal with four battle stars and a distinguished unit citation, according to the National Guard report.

"I'm just sorry most of my comrades are gone, either lost in battles for France during the war or age having taken its toll," Tyre said. "I accept this award with humility and pride, in all our names."


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