Bergen’s oldest man, 107-year-old Nils Severin Økland, was on Friday appointed a knight by the French Legion of Honor (Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur). It happened at Siljuslåtten nursing home in Sørås in Bergen.
It was France’s ambassador to Norway, Pierre-Mathieu Duhamel, who presented the award to the Norwegian war veteran.
A meaningful life
The main character himself was clearly proud after he got the French medal attached to his chest.
– I have experienced a lot in my life, and not everything has been after the book, Økland said with a twinkle in his eye after the ceremony.
The 107-year-old is originally from Eikeland in Sveio. Two years ago he made his debut as a writer.
In the autobiography “Never give up”, he tells about life at sea both in war and peacetime, and about what he learned from growing up in cramped conditions.
Checks up on stories of Norwegian war veterans who served in the war.
Photo: Lidvard Sandven / NRK
Økland served 40 months at sea during World War II. In 1941 he fled from Norway to the Shetland Islands.
There he became part of the Navy’s firing squad for the merchant navy.
In this service he participated in convoy missions on board the merchant navy to secure supplies of food, military equipment and oil in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
In the autumn of 1944, he served on board the «Roald Amundsen», and was part of the landing in Provence.
The ship was one of a total of four Norwegians who participated in the liberation of southern France.
Økland has also participated in the Allied invasion of Italy and Africa. After the war he trained as a skipper and sailed abroad.
In 1968 he had to retire due to a hearing injury.
In Norway, Økland is decorated with the War Medal, the Defense Medal and Haakon VII’s Freedom Medal. He has also received several British honors.
Photo: Lidvard Sandven / NRK
Only two other Norwegians have received the medal
The honorary legion is the highest French national order honoring both French and foreign nationals.
It was Napoleon Bonaparte himself who founded the award in 1802. It is awarded to individuals who have excelled especially in public, military or private enterprise.
The order was to replace royal orders and honors.
Nils Severin is in an exclusive company. Only two other Norwegians have received the French award.
The medal is a symbol that freedom is not a matter of course.
Photo: Lidvard Sandven / NRK
Demanding work
The ambassador says that it is a time-consuming task to find veterans who contributed during the war.
“There are hundreds of good men who took part in the war, but not all of their stories are known,” Duhamel said.
What is it like to award a war medal when there is a war in Europe?
– The medal will recognize what was done during a devastating conflict. It is a reminder that we must all be ready to defend our freedom if it is threatened, says the ambassador.
Tags: Nils Severin honored liberation France war NRK Vestland
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 honored after the liberation of France during the war – NRK Vestland){kind=link}