Leon Weil, 109; One of Last French Veterans of World War I
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Leon Weil, 109, one of France’s last surviving veterans of World War I who was also a member of the Resistance in World War II, earning decorations for both conflicts, died Tuesday at a military hospital in Paris.
The death of Weil, who participated in bayonet charges on the Western Front during World War I, leaves France with six officially recognized surviving veterans of the Great War.
Weil was mobilized in August 1916 at 20 and sent to the front.
“He who says that he was not afraid during the war is a liar,” Weil said last year. “The Germans were like us: poor guys getting beaten up for nothing.”
In World War II, Weil was a member of an intelligence network for the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France, the veterans office said.
He was decorated as a combatant in both wars and given France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor.
Weil, born July 16, 1896, was a former boxer and avid swimmer who swam until he was 102.
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