If the Legion of Honor were not a reward for civil as well as military services, it would no longer be the Legion of Honor.
Napoléon
It is the decoration that you will wear on your chest and that will say to your comrades, to your families, to your fellow citizens that he who wears it is a man of courage.
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte
Henceforth we will have two orders, one red, the other blue, the colors of our flag
Général Charles de Gaulle
The Legion of Honor is the highest French decoration and one of the most famous in the world. For two centuries, it has been presented on behalf of the Head of State to reward the most deserving citizens in all fields of activity.
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Avocat, chasseur et sportif amateur, Justinien Bretonneau-Clary, finance plusieurs sociétés de tir avant de fonder la sienne en 1897, Le Pistolet. Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur dès 1903, il est le premier décoré au titre du sport.
Lors des Jeux olympiques de Paris de 1900, il est sélectionné pour représenter la France dans les épreuves de tir où il...