World War II Honoree

Bruce E. Harding

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Brockton, Massachusetts

Honored By

Michael Lynett

AT 19 DURING WWII, HE SERVED AS A PHOTOGRAPHER WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY NINTH AIR FORCES UNIT. HE AND HIS CAMERA LANDED AS PART OF THE NORMANDY INVASION OF FRANCE. WHEN THE WAR IN EUROPE ENDED IN 1945 HE WAS STATIONED AT AN AIR BASE IN STUTTGART, GERMANY. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AWARDED HIM A 'DIPLOMA OF GRATITUDE' FROM THE FRENCH PEOPLE FOR HIS SERVICE AT THE NORMANDY INVASION OF D-DAY WHICH WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE LIBERATION OF FRANCE FROM GERMAN CONTROL.