Rabat – Moroccan World War II veteran Larbi Jawa was awarded the title of “Chevalier of the Legion of Honor” by French President Emmanuel Macron at the 80th anniversary of Provence Landing, held Thursday at the National Necropolis of Boulouris in Saint-Raphael, France.
Chaired by Macron, the ceremony was part of a year-long series of international commemorations honoring the 350,000 troops who participated in the landings towards the end of World War II on August 15, 1944, including a significant number of Moroccan soldiers.
Representing King Mohammed VI, Head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch, among the six African leaders who participated in the commemorative event to honor the major role played, although often forcibly, by African troops.
The 98-year-old Moroccan veteran, who fought alongside the Allies during WWII and later in the First Indochina War, expressed his pride in receiving the prestigious decoration.
“I am very proud and deeply honored to receive this decoration. We have amply earned it. We have endured many hardships to achieve this,” Jawa told Moroccan news agency MAP.
Born in Khenifra, Morocco, Jawa enlisted in the military on February 4, 1943, at the age of 18. He distinguished himself during Italy’s WWII campaign, particularly at the Battle of Monte Cassino, for which he earned a military citation (performance honor) at the brigade level.
Following the second World War, Jawa re-enlisted in the 6th Regiment of Moroccan Riflemen and served twice in Indochina, where he was severely wounded but continued to carry out his duties.
The ceremony, which also saw the decoration of two other veterans, honored the sacrifices made by soldiers during WWII.
“There would have been no Allied victory without the contribution from the other peoples, without the foreigners,” Macron said during the ceremony, as reported by France 24. “The fight was conducted together, to defend the universal values and ideas of peace and justice.”
