Private First Class Jim Carroll was given the highest decoration France can bestow on a foreign citizen for his service and sacrifice in Western Europe during World War II

As a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division, Private First Class Carroll jumped into Normandy (D-Day) and Holland as a paratrooper and fought in the Battle of the Bulge; Carroll has also been awarded the Bronze Star Medal

 

Minneapolis, MN – Today U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar presented the Knight of the Legion of Honor Medal to Bloomington World War II veteran Jim Carroll. Private First Class Carroll was honored by the French government for his service and sacrifice in Western Europe during World War II. The Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and is the highest honor that France can present to those who have achieved remarkable deeds for France.

“Today we honored a true American hero who put his life on the line so we could live free,” said Klobuchar. “Jim Carroll is a living symbol of our country’s Greatest Generation who answered the call to serve and stood against tyranny helping to liberate France and its people.”

Private First Class Jim Carroll was born in Missouri on October 5, 1923 and entered military service with the United States Army shortly after the December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. Serving with the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles,” Private First Class Carroll parachuted into Normandy in the early morning hours of June 6th, 1944 (D-Day). Later in 1944, Carroll participated in Operation Market Garden in Holland and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, spending 30 days over Christmas in freezing temperatures in a foxhole surrounded by the German Army. Carroll has also been awarded the Bronze Star Medal

After the war, Carroll moved to Minnesota, working for 28 years as machine shop foreman and then a Bloomington school bus driver. He retired in 1999 at age 75 and has been active in the Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel Foundation.

 

###