On April 27th, a 101-year-old Army combat veteran will stand in a room surrounded by family, friends, and fellow residents—and receive France’s most prestigious civilian and military honor: the Légion d’Honneur. The French Consulate will travel to Addington Place of Stuart to personally present the award to Robert Crecco—a quiet, humble man who still says the secret to living to 101 is simple: “Brush your teeth.”
Robert Crecco was 18 years old when he graduated from Medford High School in Massachusetts in 1943. Within months, he was a Private 1st Class in the U.S. Army, deployed to England to prepare for what would become the most consequential military operation in modern history.
On June 23, 1944—just weeks after D-Day—Robert was wounded in combat near Saint-Lô, France, a strategic communications hub that Allied forces were fighting desperately to capture. Serving with the 2nd Infantry Division, DT+1 Unit, he was a Combat Infantryman on the ground in Normandy when he was struck down. He was evacuated through a chain of field medical stations, flown to England, and spent recovery time in a General Hospital in Oxford.
For that sacrifice, Robert received the Purple Heart on July 10, 1944.
Robert will turn 101 years old on April 27. On that same day, a representative from the French Consulate will arrive at Addington Place of Stuart to formally present him with the Légion d’Honneur, an order founded by Napoleon Bonaparte and France’s highest recognition of valor and service.
Robert has called Addington Place of Stuart home since 2015. Team members describe him as quiet, reserved, and deeply grateful—a man who never draws attention to himself but has earned every ounce of admiration the community has for him. His passions: photography, tennis, and stamp collecting.
He has even returned to France since the war as a tourist, visiting sites he remembered and paying his respects at military cemeteries.
His philosophy? “Make the most of every day and every opportunity.”
EVENT DETAILS:
- What: 101st Birthday Celebration & French Légion d’Honneur Presentation Ceremony
- When: Sunday, April 27, starting at 3 pm
- Where: Addington Place of Stuart | 3400 SE Aster Ln, Stuart, FL 34994
There are fewer than 100,000 World War II veterans still alive in America. Robert is one of them—and on April 27th, his story comes full circle in the most beautiful way. He’s happy to speak with you. I’d love to get you there.
