(AP) - A South Carolina World War II vet who died last year is being awarded the highest honor given by France.
The Legion of Honor will be bestowed Wednesday on James Leach, who lived in Beaufort (BEW'-fert). The award was approved before his death at age 87 last December.
Leach and three other World War II vets from the Southeast are being honored by the French consul general in Atlanta in a ceremony in Warner Robins, Ga. The Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon in 1802.
Leach is being honored for his contributions to the liberation of France. He was a colonel in a tank battalion that fought its way across France after D-Day. He received the Purple Heart five times for injuries and received a Distinguished Service Cross.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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