Consul General of France Bestows Highest French Honor To Rio Grande Valley Resident

WESLACO - The Consul General from France along with staff from the French Embassy in Washington DC were in Weslaco to present the Legion of Honor Grand Cross to a Rio Grande Valley resident.

The distinguished award was presented to Mr. Marcel Albert from Harlingen.  The “Grand Ordre de la Legion d’honnuer” is one of the most prestigious French awards and the country's highest civilian honor.  Only 75 Grand Crosses are authorized under the Order which was established by Napoleon Bonaparte. The awards ceremony took place November 12 at the Weslaco Mid Valley Airport in the Barbee hangar just north of the terminal. 

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Backgroung: Marcel Albert

Mr. Marcel Albert is a true patriot and hero of the Second World War. Mr. Albert became a pilot for the French Air Force in 1938, in 1940 Mr. Albert was assigned to the 2^nd escadrille of fighter group 1/3 based in Cannes, France were he quickly became a fighter ace. In October of 1941 Mr. Albert along with two other fighter pilots took off on a normal patrol mission when they defected to England so that they could join the Free French in continuing the War against the axis. In 1942 after completing mandatory RAF training Mr. Albert was assigned to the Group “lle de France” where he flew 48 war missions where he again quickly became a fighter ace. In October of 1942, Mr. Albert volunteered for the Russian to fly against the Germans. On the Russian front Mr. Albert was quite successful on his missions and for the third time and on different fronts again became a fighter ace. Mr. Albert was one of the rare survivors of the first contingent, and one of only three pilots of the “Normandie Niemen” who became a “Commander de la Legion d”Honneur”. In 1945 Mr. Albert became Air attaché’ in Prague and then left the Air Force, immigrated to the United States and became President of a large consortium of companies. Mr. Albert is 92 years young and currently resides in Harlingen. Mr. Albert has received many decorations for his bravery and accomplishments during his flying carrier with the Free French Air Force.