* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Spector
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
In Honor of Harold Shapiro, Chevalier - Recipient of the French National Order of the Legion of Honor
FOR the purpose of celebrating the honor bestowed on Harold Shapiro in receipt of France's Legion of Honor on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the World War II D-Day invasion of Normandy; expressing gratitude for his service to this country and to his role in the liberation of France; and paying homage to his boundless courage, strength of spirit, and commitment to duty that exemplify all that is good about the United States of America.
body
Recitals
On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which "we will accept nothing less than full victory." More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day's end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high - more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded - but more than 100,000 soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.
Harold Shapiro, of Mount Washington, was named a Chevalier, or knight, and inducted into the French Legion of Honor in a ceremony at the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. on Monday, June 6, the 67th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. The French National Order of the Legion of Honor award medal, a golden medallion surrounded by 5 rays of white enamel and set over a wreath of green leaves, is the highest honor that France can give, reserved for distinguished individuals in government, arts, and industry, as well as military.
Since the 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004, French diplomats have criss-crossed the country trying to find WWII veterans who were present at the Allied invasion of Normandy and the subsequent battles that led to the end of Nazi occupation. Mr. Shapiro, who enlisted in 1943, saw action with the 26th Infantry Division, 104th Regiment in northern France, the Rhineland, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was injured in Saarlautern, Germany and evacuated to England, later returning to Czechoslovakia with the occupying forces, before being discharged in 1946.
Upon receipt, the medal of the French National Order of the Legion of Honor will join others in Mr. Shapiro's illustrious collection that includes the Bronze Star, awarded to persons serving in the Army who have distinguished themselves by "heroic or meritorious achievement or service in connection with military operations against an armed enemy", and the Purple Heart, awarded to "members of the armed forces who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy".
The Baltimore City Council joins the United States Government, the Armed Forces, the French Government, and friends, family, and community in treasuring Mr. Harold Shapiro as a true American hero.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body celebrates the honor bestowed on Harold Shapiro in receipt of France's Legion of Honor on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the World War II D-Day invasion of Normandy; expresses gratitude for his service to this country and to his role in the liberation of France; and pays homage to his boundless courage, strength of spirit, and commitment to duty that exemplify all that is good about the United States of America.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, to Mr. Harold Shapiro and Family, the Commander and Members of Disabled American Veterans, Baltimore Chapter, the Baltimore Posts of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Commander and National Executive Committee of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, the President and Members of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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