Miles Morgan and His Excellency Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States (c) JC Agid

Miles Morgan, Board of Director of The American Friends of Blérancourt, was bestowed the insignia of Officier dans l'Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021.

The Consulate General of France in New York received guests, who many traveled specifically back to the city, to celebrate Mr. Morgan’s achievement at the ceremony, where His Excellency Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States, formally bestowed the honor to Mr. Morgan.

Franck Laverdin, Chairman of The American Friends of Blérancourt, and James Gerard, Board of Director of The American Friends of Blérancourt, were also honored with the chance to speak of Mr. Morgan’s dedication and commitment to furthering the Franco-American friendship. Mr. Morgan humbly accepted and shared the accolade with everyone who have in the past or remain in the present as supporter of the Franco-American Museum of Château de Blérancourt.

In Mr. Morgan’s acceptance speech, he spoke of his great-aunt Anne Morgan’s efforts and her success of rallying 350 women volunteers after WWI to provide humanitarian relief to the devastations at Picardy, France. The act itself, in Mr. Morgan’s eyes, is a message on its own. Whether it be then or now, “egality and égalité,” are words that continue to guide his moral compass. Mr. Morgan explained that although a lot has been achieved in the years of friendship between France and the USA, all “is a work in progress…I think for all of us. There seems to be a lot of work to do. I have to say, personally, I am very ridiculously proud of this and I am happy to share this (award) with you.”

Prior to the ceremony, a luncheon was also held in Miles Morgan’s honor at the Union Club. The American Friends of Blérancourt is thankful for the opportunity to bring everyone together at such a joyous occasion, and a special thank you to Jean-Christian Agid for capturing all of the memorable moments that day. To read Mr. Agid’s exclusive coverage please visit Le Petit Journal.