There were nine veterans honored at the ceremony that took place aboard the U.S.S. Bataan in Port Everglades, Florida, last month and my Dad was one of them. It seemed to me that the veterans really appreciated the ceremony, being honored and thanked for their service. I got my start from Marion's website and was told to contact the French Consulate Office closest to the home of the veteran. Ours was Miami. I got on their website and downloaded a three page form, filled it out and mailed it to them. From what I can tell the only absolute requirement was that the veteran had to have served in the liberation of France in WW II. We sent that to them in January of this year. We got a phone call in early May and attended the ceremony on May 10th. The families were so friendly and pleased to have their veterans honored. I think it is worth the effort to fill out the form. They do ask a lot of questions about after war experiences. It is easy to get the form, take a look at it and decide. I recommend taking a look.
Glen Blasingim