Kermit Lynch: Recipient of French Medal of Honor
The French government has awarded the Berkeley Wine Merchant the insignia of Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur to be presented at a private ceremony early next year, the Chronicle reports. Other recipients include Robert Parker, Robert Mondavi, Julia Child, Leonard Bernstein, Josephine Baker, Duke Ellington, Gregory Peck and Ronald Reagan.
Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the award is France’s highest accolade and is given primarily for military achievements, although 10 percent of the awards are now given for cultural accomplishments.
Lynch has been instrumental in helping American consumers get in contact with small production French Wine. He had previously been honored with the Chevalier de l’Ordre de Merite Agricole award by the French Government. Why two separate awards? General de Gaulle signed on December 3, 1963 the decree instituting and organizing the National order of merit intended to reward the civil and military “distinguished merits”. By doing this, it holds for the Order of the Legion of Honor the reward of the “eminent merits”.
Congratulations Kermit Lynch.
