Legion of Honor Ceremony for WWII Veteran Clayton Baum [fr]
During a ceremony held on April 4 2023 at the American Legion Post 282 in La Mesa, Clayton Baum, 99 years old, surrounded by his family and friends received from the Consul General the insignia of Chevalier in the Legion of Honor for his bravery during World War II.
Click on the picture below to take a look at the photo album of this historical moment.
Technician 4th Grade Clayton B. Baum, U.S. Army, 99, was born in Cleveland, Ohio in June 1923 into a family with one brother, Kenneth. He later moved to Brecksville, Ohio where he graduated from Brecksville High School in 1941. After a semester at Kent State University Clayton was drafted into the U.S. Army in February 1943 in Cleveland Ohio, and did his Basic and Advanced Training in Vancouver, Washington and Camp Sutton, North Carolina respectively. He deployed to England in October 1943 where he was an Arms Instructor. In mid-June 1944 he landed at Utah Beach in Normandy, France and served with the Service Battery of the 268th Field Artillery Battalion which carried 8 inch guns. Outside of Paris during the liberation he was invited by a French family for dinner. His campaigns included Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. Clayton was discharged from the Army in December 1945 at Indian Town Gap, Pennsylvania.
His significant decorations include the EAME Campaign Medal with 4 battle stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. After the war, Clayton attended Hiram College part time and briefly worked with his father in the grocery business in Ohio, then moved to California in 1947. There he had stints in the grocery, real estate and advertising business before joining Sunshine Biscuit Co as a sales manager for 12 years and later in the industrial paper business for 18 years before retiring in 1987. He married his wife Eleanor in August 1946 after proposing to her on Valentine Day and their union lasted 74 years until her passing in January 2021. Their family included son Douglas (Killed in Action in Vietnam), son Ronald and daughter Sandra. His extended family includes 8 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He has lived in La Mesa, California since 1963. During retirement he has volunteered with the La Mesa Police Department and has given about 8000 hours to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. He went back to France in 2019 sponsored by the World War II museum, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.
Fox 5 San Diego était présent pour couvrir ce moment historique. Cliquez ici pour regarder le replay de leur émission.
If you know WWII veterans who have served in France, they might be eligible to receive the Legion of Honor. Write us at assistante.los-angeles-fslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr.
Click here to find the details about the Legion of Honor process..
- Clayton Baum
