Some American veterans were honored by the government of France Tuesday for bravery in World War II.

Officials from the French Consulate awarded the insignia of “Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor” to more than two dozen WWII veterans in Ormond Beach.

The veterans were honored for fighting alongside the French during the war. The French Consul who handed out the awards said it's an especially meaningful duty for him.

"I want to be there as the representative of the French Republic, because I want this to be very official, but I am also from Normandy, my family is in Normandy, lives in Normandy, so for me, it means a lot, because I know what they did, and I know what we owe them," said Philippe Létrilliart, Consul General of France.

The insignia of “Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor” is France's highest award of distinction.