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Indian Trail WWII veteran honored by French Consulate General

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — Saturday afternoon, six veterans who served on D-Day received the French Legion of Merit.

Channel 9 first told you the story of 93-year-old James Crump, one of the veterans honored on Friday.

Reporter Glenn Counts spoke with a Crump about his memories and what he risked to serve.

Crump, along with the other five veterans honored are just some of the thousands of brave Americans who faced down the Nazis on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion.

"Cause we go over to do a job, do it, pray to God he helps. He did," Crump said.

This year’s Veterans Day will be a special one for Crump and six other D-Day veterans. The French Consulate General will be awarding them the French Legion of Merit, which is the equivalent to the Medal of Honor in the United States.

“It is a great honor for me,” Crump said.

Crump told Channel 9 that he has never met any of the other nominees.

"I don’t know if they are from around here or not, but I'm anxious to meet them," Crump said.

Crump was a highly decorated soldier. He received three Purple Hearts for being wounded in Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge.

Channel 9 asked Crump about his thoughts on modern-day Nazis in America.

"They should be shot," Crump said.

Crump said he lost many friends in the war, and while many who know him consider him a hero, he doesn’t feel like one.

"Are you a hero? For myself, no. For all my buddies, yeah," Crump said.

Crump and the other veterans will be honored Saturday at the Indian Trail Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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