Merci, GIs: France Honors WWII Vets at West Point France has bestowed honors on three dozen World War II veterans at the U.S. Military Academy. The French ambassador to the United States awarded the French Legion of Honor during a ceremony held Tuesday at West Point, on the Hudson River north of New York City. It's the highest decoration given by France. Since 2005, more than 300 American veterans who fought in France during the Second World War have received the honor. Among those receiving the Legion of Honor at West Point were several combat veterans from New York. French officials say they chose West Point to host the ceremony because the military academy produced officers who led troops in France during both world wars. The academy was established in 1802, the same year Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Legion of Honor.