The consul general of France scheduled a presentation Wednesday morning to award the Legion of Honor posthumously to Sac and Fox Nation veteran Don. J. Chouteau.
Chouteau, who died last year, was a tailgunner on a B-24 bomber assigned to espionage activities in Europe during World War II. Code-named “carpetbaggers,” the operation involved dropping supplies and sometimes personnel to aid resistance fighters.
The ceremonies were set for 9 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial of the Sac and Fox Nation. Alexis Andres, the French consul, will present the Legion of Honor and the rank of chevalier (knight) to Chouteau’s daughter, Donna.
The Carpetbaggers operated in several European countries, including Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, but most of the activities were in France.
“Such missions were harrowing and demanded a high degree of nerve and skill from the crew,” according to a book written about the Carpetbaggers. “They quickly became adept at identifying landmarks and reached a level of skill that made them able to conduct missions in adverse weather conditions that otherwise grounded conventional squadrons.”