Jeannette World War II veteran receives French Legion of Honor award
French honor Jeannette veteran
World War II veteran Joseph Folino of Jeannette receives French Legion of Honor Medal during Veterans Day program Nov. 11, 2018, at Greensburg VFW post.
It’s been more than 70 years since Joseph Folino returned home from France after helping to liberate that country from German occupation and end World War II combat in Europe.
At 96, the Jeannette veteran still honors those who served with him those many decades ago.
In a special Veterans Day ceremony Sunday at the Greensburg VFW post, it was Folino’s turn to be recognized. He received the French Legion of Honor award, France’s highest decoration.
“Through this medal, we honor him and his buddies,” said Jean-Dominique Le Garrec, French honorary consul for Western Pennsylvania. He referred to fellow members of Folino’s anti-tank unit, many of whom hailed from Jeannette or surrounding communities.
“They accomplished great things, and we now call them the Greatest Generation,” Le Garrec said.
Folino accepted the award as part of the post’s Veterans Day program.
“It means that the people still care,” he said. “Even though it’s been many years, they still remembered me.”
A 20-year-old railroad worker when he was drafted, Folino took part in the Army advance across France, from Normandy to the Liberation of Paris, in August.
He’s one of the area’s few living veterans who experienced the following winter’s Battle of the Bulge,
successfully answering the last Nazi counter-offensive of the war.
Because of dwindling numbers, a local group of Battle of the Bulge veterans that Folino belonged to has disbanded. But he thanked the VFW Honor Guard for taking charge of an annual December ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Hempfield that commemorates the key battle and the Americans who fought in it.
Among others who deserve recognition, Folino said, are World War II nurses who supported troops in the conflict.
“A lot of people don’t know what our Army nurses went through. They were out on the front line with us,” he said.
“They would bring these wounded soldiers in and take care of them right away, to get them to the field hospitals. They saved a lot of lives.”
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@tribweb.com or via Twitter @jhimler_news.
