World War II veterans Harold Terens and Jeanne Swerlin proved that love lasts forever when they married inland from the D-Day beaches of Normandy.
advertisementThe combined age of the bride and groom was nearly 200 years. But World War II veteran Harold Terens and his sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin proved that love lasts forever when they tied the knot Saturday just inland from the D-Day beaches in Normandy, France.
Although it may not be the wedding of the century, their ages (he is 100, she is only 96) make their wedding a nearly 200-year celebration.
The venue was Carentan’s town hall, an elegant stone building that was a major early D-Day objective that saw heavy fighting following the Allied landings on June 6, 1944, which helped remove Adolf Hitler’s tyranny from Europe.
Like other towns on the Normandy coast where some 160,000 Allied troops landed under fire from five code-named beaches, it is a vibrant center of commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the exploits and sacrifices of the young men and women of that day. It’s decorated with flags and banners, with veterans welcomed like rock stars.
As Glenn Miller’s swings and other period music echoed through the streets, well-wishers lined up behind a barrier outside City Hall an hour before the ceremony began.
After they both said ‘oui’ to the vows read by the deputy mayor, the couple waved to the enthusiastic crowd outside, champagne in hand.
Terens called it “the best day of my life.”
The wedding was symbolic, not legally binding. Mayor Jean-Pierre Ronneur’s office said he had no authority to marry a foreigner who does not live in Carentan and that the couple, who are both Americans, had not requested a legally binding vow. However, you can return to Florida and complete the process at any time if you wish.
Lhonneur likes to say that Normandy is effectively the 51st state of the United States, given his respect and appreciation for the sacrifices of veterans and the tens of thousands of Allied soldiers who did not return home from the Battle of Normandy.
Jane Ollier, 73, wearing her mother Louise’s 1940s dress and red beret, was one of the spectators who waited early to catch a glimpse of the happy couple.
“It’s so touching to get married at that age,” she said. ”If it can bring them happiness in the last few years of their lives, that’s fantastic.’
