A wartime service recognized decades later
William F. Lyford Jr. stood before relatives, friends and neighbours in Woodstock on Friday to receive one of France’s highest distinctions. At 102 years old, the Second World War veteran was presented with the Legion of Honor during a ceremony at the McHenry County Building.
The event brought together almost 100 people, including four generations of Lyford’s family. Charlotte Montel, France’s consul general in Chicago, presented the medal and said the recognition reflected Lyford’s courage and service during the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany and restore peace in France and Western Europe.
“Part of the greatest generation.”
Montel used that description for Lyford while speaking about his wartime contribution, according to the account cited by the source. She also described the presentation as deeply emotional. The ceremony gave family members and members of the Woodstock community an opportunity to mark a chapter of military history that began when Lyford was still a teenager.
From enlistment to the European front
Lyford left his family at 18 to join the U.S. Army. After basic training and intensive infantry instruction, he entered combat in 1944 with the 45th Infantry Division’s 157th Infantry Regiment. He served with Company G, 1st Platoon, 3rd Squad, and was assigned as a Browning Automatic Rifle gunner.
His service included fighting at Anzio, in Italy, where he joined his unit in February 1944. He later took part in the battle for Rome before preparing for the Allied landing in southern France known as Operation Dragoon. The source says his unit also fought through areas of France and Germany, including the Alsace region, during the closing stages of the war.
| Wartime milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Army service began | Lyford enlisted at 18 |
| Combat service | More than 400 days across eight battles |
| Medal ceremony | McHenry County Building in Woodstock |
Remembering the cost of the fighting
Among the battles associated with Lyford’s service was the Battle of Reipertswiller in northeastern France. Accounts of the fighting differ in how casualties are presented. Montel referred to 900 soldiers being lost, while a history of the 157th Infantry Regiment cited by the source provides separate figures: 158 American soldiers killed in action, 350 wounded or injured and evacuated, and 426 captured by the end of the battle on Jan. 20, 1945.
Those figures place Lyford’s medal in the broader context of the danger faced by Allied troops during the liberation of France. The source reports that his regiment’s advance helped disrupt German defences and contributed to the liberation of the country. It also says the unit’s movement through France freed the hometown of Sylvain Ducrot, a French man connected to Lyford’s story.
A life marked by service
Lyford continued fighting on multiple fronts in Italy, France and Germany before celebrating Victory in Europe Day in Noyon, France, on May 8, 1945. More than eight decades later, the Legion of Honor ceremony connected that military record with the community where he now lives.
The honour also served as a public remembrance of the people who fought across Europe and of the civilians and soldiers affected by the conflict. For Lyford’s family, the gathering offered a chance to recognize his experience across four generations. For those attending in Woodstock, it was a rare opportunity to hear a Second World War veteran acknowledged by France for the role he played in its liberation.
- Lyford served with the 45th Infantry Division’s 157th Infantry Regiment.
- His combat service included Italy, France and Germany.
- France’s consul general in Chicago presented the Legion of Honor in Woodstock.
