- April 19, 2024
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Joe Garber was among a handful of Ormond Beach residents who received The Legion of Honor Medal, France’s highest distinction, last weekend.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
Joe Garber took his seat on the stage, having just received the Legion of Honor Medal. And tears began to fill his eyes.
But he wasn't about to apologize for crying, he told the crowd. He's seen and done a lot in his 90 years, including 13 B-17 bombing missions during World War II, and so he feels OK showing his emotions from time to time.
Garber and nearly 15 other veterans were awarded the Legion of Honor Medal May 10, in ceremony at the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences. The medal, presented by members of the French consulate from Miami, is France’s highest distinction and is awarded for exceptional service to the country.
It’s been awarded to Americans like Thomas Edison, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Colin Powell. France awards the medal today to all United States military veterans who fought on French soil during WWII.
But Garber actually fought above, not on, French soil, as a radio operator and a togglier, the soldier who arms and drops bombs. He did his duty in the invasion of Normandy and, about six weeks after that mission, his plane was shot down and he spent time in two German prisoner-of-war camps. He was liberated by Russian troops in late May 1945.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Garber said, “when it first came out, I didn’t think I was eligible for the simple reason that they wanted it for the liberation of their cities.”
Standing in the reception after the ceremony, with a glass of champagne in his hand, Garber was approached by another veteran, Joseph Reus, who also flew in a bomber during the war.
Reus and Garber, as it turned out, were at the same POW camp, Stalag 1, at the same time, and were even liberated together. They had never met until last weekend's ceremony.
Garber received his medal just four days after his 90th birthday.
“When I first found out that I was going to get the medal, I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “As it got closer, and I found out what it meant, and how important it was — how big it was — I said, ‘Holy hell, what did I do to get that?’"
But there's something Garber treasures even more than his award.
“That I’m alive," he said. "To (have been through) what I went through and still be walking and talking — somebody up there likes you.”
Local heroes
Names of all of the Ormond Beach residents honored at the May 10 Legion of Honor ceremony are listed as follows.
Jerome Burnstine
John Harrington
James Miller
Willis Olds
Crawford Shearer
Joe Garber
