Legion of Honour Legion of Honour The Legion of Honour (full name: National Order of the Legion of Honour; ) is the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and retained by all the divergent governments and regimes later holding power in France, up to the present. The order's motto is ' ("Honour and Fatherland"), and its seat is the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur next to the Musée d'Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine in Paris. The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction: ' (Knight), ' (Officer), '
Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a decoration of the United States of America and is awarded to foreign military personnel in four grades and to U.S. military personnel without distinction of degree. The following are recipients within the award. THIS LIST IS INCOMPLETE. When the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is awarded without reference to degree. The medal and ribbon of this fourth degree (Legionnaire) are used for such purpose though. The US Army and US Air Force do not authorize the "V"