97-Year-Old World War II Veteran from Westtown Honored with French Award

Leslie Simmler, a 97-year-old World War II veteran from Westtown, has been honored with the French Legion of Honor Award, writes Bill Rettew for the Daily Local News. 

The French government’s highest honor was presented to Simmler by the French ambassador and U.S. Department Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, during a July 13 ceremony in Washington. 

Simmler was drafted in 1943 as an 18-year-old and sent to Europe. After being shot on a French battlefield and suffering a hand and arm injury, he returned home. 

However, he still does not see himself as a hero. 

“I just happened to get shot,” he said. “You go where they tell you to go and do what they tell you to do.” 

Read more about Leslie Simmler in the Daily Local News.