Nicholls Veteran’s Day Guest Speaker World War II Veteran

THIBODAUX, La. - Nicholls State University is set to host its annual Veteran's Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 at 11 a.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. The ceremony is open to the community and will feature Mr. Norris Morvant as its guest speaker.

Morvant, a 100-year-old French-speaking Cajun from Thibodaux, served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was selected to work in the office of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe at the time and eventual 34th president of the United States. As a bilingual soldier, Morvant could translate documents, decipher messages and speak directly with the people whose countries were being liberated by the Allies.

At 18, Morvant voluntarily joined a naval base in the Mediterranean where Germans had already invaded. He ended up being taken as a Prisoner of War for two and a half years until he was liberated by American Troops on May 5, 1945. He was at headquarters when the war ended in Europe and returned to the United States to be discharged on Dec. 24, 1945, arriving home in Louisiana on Christmas morning.

Morvant's efforts were invaluable to the Allied Forces overseas between their units as well as to the local French-speaking population during World War II. He was awarded a Bronze Star by Gen. George Patton, a U.S. Army officer who was an outstanding practitioner of mobile tank warfare during World War II. Morvant also received France's highest recognition, the Legion of Honor, in Sept. 2022 at the National World War II Museum. In 2023, Morvant returned to Normandy, France, and reflected on his time spent there.

Using the G.I. Bill, Morvant attended school and joined the American Legion which helped him transition into his locksmith career. Morvant has been a part of the United Veterans League for 15 years, attending all funerals of veterans in the Thibodaux area. He says being there for the families of the veteran's who've passed is very important and his way of showing how much he cares.

To learn more about Nicholls State University's Veterans Services, visit www.nicholls.edu/veterans.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 7, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Payton Suire

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985.448.4141or [email protected]