Henri J Bedard of North Wildwood, NJ Receives Highest Honor by the French Republic for His Heroic Services in the Liberation of France During WW2

By Dorothy Kulisek / Meg Corcoran

Marcel Bertrand and Antoine Noslier met in March 2009 when Antoine contacted WWII survivor Marcel, who lives near his hometown in France. Antoine is a WWII re-enactor and is very passionate about the 83rd Infantry Division. His new found friendship with Marcel set him on an inspired quest to find Marcel’s living “band of brothers.” With this being the internet age, Antoine did a Google search, with Wildwood’s own Henri J. Bedard’s name as his only source of information (originally spelling his name with a “y” instead of an “i,” temporarily hastening his search). His online pursuit eventually introduced him to the Sun by-the-sea’s editor Dorothy Kulisek and the feature on Henri J that appeared in the Spring 2008 edition of the paper.
As Marcel’s story portrays, he and Henri J’s story began when they served together in WWII. Marcel first met Henri J. at the age of 15 when he was a French volunteer in the 83rd Signal Company, 83rd Infantry Division. Marcel, who was born at Dinan in Brittany, France, met and sympathized with the Americans and became a guide for them in 1944, when the Americans liberated the town of Dinan from the Germans. Fast forward many decades later, when a nostalgic Marcel, with the help of a determined friend, Antoine Noslier, attempted to build a bridge between himself and his past.
Meanwhile, the story on our very own Henri J. began on a dairy farm close to the Canadian border where he was born in October 1923. He would eventually work for the Federal government in Washington, D.C. before being drafted in 1944, ultimately ending up in the 83rd Infantry Division. Following his Army days, he returned to working for the Federal government. He then moved to Philadelphia where he managed a gas and repair station. In 1951, he acquired Henri J’s, a service and then-gas station in North Wildwood, where he remains to this day, along with his son Hank, taking care of the vehicles that make their way around the Wildwoods. A short time after this e-mail connection, Henri J. received a two-page, hand-written letter from Marcel. Henri J., who is fluent in French, then corresponded with a letter of his own, making for a special reunion across the miles.
When the story on Henri J. first appeared in The SUN in 2008, never would I have imagined it would connect two WWII comrades, reaching across the Atlantic to France! The Sun’s mantra stands true, “Where yesterday and today meet by the sea,” bringing people together over the miles and the years through stories is its ultimate goal. What a gratifying experience it is. With the help of God and a 28 year-old man, Antoine Noslier, from Brittany, France, I was blessed to take part in reuniting these two “band of brothers” from across the sea, who have lived a lifetime since their war days 67 years ago.
Fast Forward to 2015…Dorothy Kulisek received a message from Antoine from France, if she can obtain a copy of Henri J.’s military papers. He is in contact with a worker at the Foreign office whose job is to prepare requests to obtain the Legion d’Honneur to American Veterans who participated in the liberation of France. Antoine proposed Henri J out of his very own gratitude and respect for particularly the 83rd Infantry Division (HJs division) who suffered heavy losses in Normandy and in the battles of Saint-Malo, Dinard and Dinan and the battle of the Bulge.
In August and then October 2015, Henri J. received letters from the French Consulat, with deep honor to attend a special ceremony in NYC at the Lycee de Francais saying: “Please allow me to offer you my warmest congratulations for your appointment as Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic.”
When Henri J was invited to New York City to be made a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor for his heroic contribution towards the liberation of France during World War II, his family and friends were naturally on hand, proud witnesses to the latest recognition bestowed upon their very own hero.
The Sun is honored to be reporting on the latest chapter in the life of 92 year old Henri J Bedard, whose never-ending story, filled with struggles, successes and seaside days, continues to inspire everyone around him.
We would be remiss to not mention our deepest gratitude to Monsieur Antoine Noslier for his dedication in honoring WW2 veterans, particularly our very own Henri J. Bedard.
Henri J. Bedard in Dinan, 1944