Normandy Revisited — Studium Generale
On Monday, Nov. 10, from 7-8 p.m., Glynda Schaad will present “Normandy Revisited,” an account of her father Oscar Peterson’s return to France after 70 years at the Peninsula College Forks extension site, 481 S. Forks Ave. The presentation will feature historical photos from his personal collection as well as a photographic journal of the 2014 visit to Normandy and Omaha Beach.
Forks resident to receive French Legion d’Honneur Award
Peninsula College’s Nov. 12 Studium Generale program will be a very special one for Oscar “Pete” Peterson of Forks and his family.
A veteran of Normandy and the D-Day landing, Peterson will be the guest of honor at a special Wednesday Studium Generale celebrating Veterans Day and a member of the “Greatest Generation.”
During the program, Peninsula College English faculty member Glynda Schaad will share the powerful details of accompanying her 92-year-old father, Oscar, to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of D Day. The program starts at 12:35 p.m. in the college’s Little Theater in Port Angeles.
Following the program, Peninsula College President Dr. Luke Robins will introduce French Consul Honoraire M. Jack Cowan from the French Consulate in San Francisco, who will present Peterson with the French Legion d’Honneur medal. The medal is France’s highest distinction and was created to honor extraordinary contributions to the country.
A reception in Peterson’s honor will be held immediately after the conclusion of the medal ceremony in the foyer adjacent to the Little Theater. Everyone is invited to attend.
U.S. veterans who risked their lives during World War II to fight on French territory may be awarded the medal, providing they meet strict criteria: They must have fought in at least one of the three main campaigns of the Liberation of France ─ Normandy, Provence/Southern France or Northern France ─ and have a most distinguished service record.
Files are sent to The Legion of Honor committee in Paris, through the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the French Foreign Affairs ministry. The Legion of Honor committee then approves or rejects the candidates after a careful review of the files.
Those selected are appointed to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honor. The medal can be given only to living recipients; no posthumous awards are made.
Peterson, a medic who landed on Omaha Beach, was one of only three medics in his original 3rd Battalion, (38th Infantry, Second Division) who was not wounded, killed or taken prisoner during the war.
On June 6, Peterson was greeted in Normandy by top brass from France and the United States, including Gen. Philip Breedlove, the Supreme Allied Commander. The following day he was given a personal tour (using field notes) conducted by a curator of the American Cemetery at Omaha that traced his steps immediately following the beach landing. Time and again he was greeted with deep thanks, many handshakes and ultimately a medal for his service.
This will be a rich and memorable program, commemorating the life of an individual from that “Great Generation” and the historic significance of liberation.
