Two Las Vegas WWII Veterans Posthumously Receive Highest Honor by the French

Two highly decorated WWII U.S. Army veterans received yet another honor last month.  Ahrez “Jim” Karim and Leroy Wagner received the insignia of Chevalier (Knight) of the National Order of the Legion of Honor (Legion of Honor). The two WWII veterans were former residents of the Nevada State Veterans Home. This award is the highest presented by France.

Sergeant Ahzez “Jim” Karim was drafted in 1943. He parachuted at night behind German lines in preparation for the June 6th D-Day landings. On D-Day, he went from a Private First Class to platoon leader as his team Sergeant. Karim was awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and the WWII Victory Medal.

On D-Day on June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, “We will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded. Their sacrifice allowed more than 100,000 soldiers to begin the slow, hard slog across Europe, to defeat Adolf Hitler’s army of troops.

Sergeant LeRoy Wagner enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 9, 1941, just two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During his enlistment, he became a Tech Sergeant with the 45th Infantry Division, known as the “Thunderbirds.” The 45th Infantry Division served with General George S. Patton’s U.S. 7th Army during the Sicilian campaign. When the fighting was done, the commander had this to say about the division; “Your division is one of the best, if not the best division in the history of American arms.” Wagner also earned the Combat Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart.

The history of the National Order of the Legion Honor dates all the way back to the French Revolution. It was the wish of Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul, to create a reward to commend civilians and soldiers regardless of their stature in life. In 1802, a Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honor) was established as the first modern order of merit. The Légion was open to individuals of all ranks and professions. The order is France’s highest award and is conferred upon men and women, either French citizens or foreign nationals, for outstanding achievements in military or civilian life.

The Honorable Christophe Lemoine, Consul General of France in Los Angeles, was extremely helpful in providing assistance in ensuring Karim and Wagner received this posthumous honor.

The ceremony took place on Sunday, August 26 at the Nevada State Veterans Home.