Legion D'honneur medal for Wolverhampton veteran, 91
"He's my hero, always has been and always will be." These are the words of the proud daughter of a Second World War veteran who landed on the beaches of Normandy in the D-Day landings, and received his Legion D'honneur medal.
John Charles Joyce, 91, was given a civic reception in his own living room in his Tettenhall home, surrounded by his family including daughter Jennifer, 66, as well as Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Major Sylvia Parkin MBE and Standard Bearer Graham Morris.
Mr Joyce, who was a butchers boy before he was called up in 1943, was a private soldier and part of the South Staffordshire Regiment. Unbeknownst to him, he along with colleagues were being trained and prepared for the huge invasion on June 6, 1944. Along with several other British soldiers, John was put with the Canadian military for the landings.
He said: "I'm lucky to be here. A lot of people died. I wouldn't want to do it again.
"It's lovely to have everyone here to see me receive it. It's very special."
Mr Joyce remembered one time during the war when fellow infantry members were following a tank when he came across a bomb.
He said: "The tanks went first and then this thing appeared from nowhere. It was a bomb, we were lucky it didn't go off. We would have been blown to bits."
Mr Joyce in fact met his Belgian-born wife Josee, 89, on VE Day in Belgium. They moved to England, married and had three children, Jennifer, John, 63 and Denise, 55. They also have three great grandchildren.
He returned to the butchers trade, and ran two shops, one in The Square, New Invention, which ran from 1957 until he and Josee retired in 1990.
Also a keen sportsman, Mr Joyce played football for Brewood and golf at Bloxwich Golf Club, and also competed in go-karting tournaments up and down the country.
