France honors U.S. Air Force senior leaders Published Nov. 18, 2004 SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. -- Two U.S. Air Force senior officers were inducted recently into the French Legion d'Honneur, the highest award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France.Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, and Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, were presented the awards during a ceremony Oct. 25 in Washington, D.C., at the residence of the French Ambassador to the United States, Jean-David Levitte.General Jumper was awarded the insignia of "Grand Officer," while General Handy was awarded the insignia of "Officer." The Legion d'Honneur consists of five insignias, or classes, including Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, and Chevalier (also known as "Knight").General Handy said his induction into the Legion d'Honneur is something he will always prize."To be recognized by France long a friend and ally of America -- is truly an honor," General Handy said. "For more than 200 years, the United States and France have been united by friendship and shared values. From the battlefields of Yorktown to the beaches of Normandy, our countries have maintained an enduring bond."Since the Legion d'Honneur was introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte in the early-1800s, fewer than 60 Americans have received the honor, including Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, inventors Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, and astronaut Neil Armstrong. Air Mobility Command News Service is a service of the Internal Division Office of Public Affairs 503 Ward Drive, Room 214 Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225-5335 618-229-7821