By Leslie Church
Buffalo, NY – Sixty-five years after he landed on French soil on D-Day, local World War II veteran Joseph Pawlik was honored by the French government Monday.
The French Consul presented him with the Legion of Honor for his contribution to the liberation of France. Pawlik, who is 89, recalled his experience as a paratrooper at the Battle of Normandy. He says he was hit in the back with shrapnel that is still lodged near his spine.
"The one thing I remember is jumping in the dark into France," Pawlik said. "I lasted four day. And then I got the shrapnel. I'm very lucky to be alive right now."
Pawlik has also received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his service.