ARMSTRONG – Today George Hoffman is comfortably at home in Armstrong, but during World War Two he was a crew commander of an armored fighter vehicle doing reconnaissance.
“The main job was to assess the whereabouts of the enemy, their strength and their armament,” explains Hoffman.
Landing in France in July of 1944, he was in Germany when the war ended.
Now almost seven decades later, the 92-year-old is among the veterans being named Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour. A letter from the French ambassador to Canada says the distinction is recognition for involvement in the liberation of France.
“Through you, France remembers the sacrifice of all of your compatriots who came to liberate French soil, often losing their lives in the process.”
Hoffman already knows what he’ll say when he formally accepts the decoration Sunday.
“I have my own speech made out. I mentioned in there that I would accept this on behalf of the people that lost their lives and that served over there.”
He was given the choice to have the designation mailed to him, or have it ceremonially presented by an official French representative, and chose the former.
“I’m 93, well I’ll be 93 this year, and God knows when they would be able to get to…me here so I decided to go for the local dignitaries and just get it over with and shove it under the couch,” he says.
A ceremony is planned at the Armstrong legion this Sunday for Hoffman to receive the honour.
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