Oregon WWII veteran to get honor from French

GLIDE, Ore. (AP) - A longtime Glide rancher who fought as an infantryman during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II will be honored by the French Consulate Friday.

Neil Talcott died shortly after the French sent word he would be made a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.

He was 89 when he died Dec. 19 at the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s protective care unit.

Manuel Annear, the assistant manager of that unit, said he was saddened that Talcott did not live to receive the award.

Annear and the Roseburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2468 put Talcott’s name forward for the award two years ago.

Annear said he is not sure whether Talcott was able to understand the letter announcing the award when it was read to him, since he was on his deathbed and unresponsive at the time.

“I have hopes that he heard it,” Annear said.

His widow, Jane Talcott, and son Daniel Talcott of Seattle will receive the award on his behalf.

The ceremony will be from 12:30 to 1 p.m. in the Roseburg VA auditorium, 913 N.W. Garden Valley Blvd. All veterans and family members are invited to attend.

Talcott was born Aug. 9, 1925, and is a graduate of Glide High School.

Annear said Talcott spoke about his service during his time at the VA and had a picture of himself fresh out of boot camp on the wall of his room there. It joined a second photograph of him after his service in World War II, muscled and older, with a look of worldly wisdom in his eyes, Annear said.

“He was a great guy and he was a real hero,” Annear said. “He really did some things that were just amazing. He and his crew fought up through France and into the Battle of the Bulge. He ended up in the Hurtgen Forest, spending many days dug into the shallow foxhole where he thought he was going to die. The artillery just kept coming.”

After his Army service, Talcott was a rancher in the Glide area for most of his life.

Annear said he wished Talcott had lived to receive the award, but he’s still glad it will be given.

“I think it’s pretty special. I think it’s very cool of the French government to go ahead and do this for these guys, who did a lot for their country, but they were just doing it, they were plain old guys doing what they were told to do,” Annear said.

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Information from: The News-Review, https://www.nrtoday.com