WORLD WAR II France pays tribute to Allied soldiers who invaded Riviera in 1944

Operation Dragoon is known as 'the other D-Day.'
DRAGUIGNAN, France (AP) -- France opened a weekend tribute Saturday to the American, French and African soldiers who helped liberate its land from Nazi Germany's grip in one of the least-remembered military operations of World War II: the Allied invasion of the Riviera.
On the eve of a ceremony involving heads of state from 15 nations and representatives from six other countries -- mainly former African colonies -- France thanked British and American veterans of Operation Dragoon for their role in what is called "the other D-Day."
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade says he will establish an annual holiday Aug. 23 to commemorate the "forgotten" role the hundreds of thousands of African troops played in France's World War II liberation.
The operation came 10 weeks after the bigger, bloodier Normandy invasion of June 6, 1944, and pushed German troops into a closing Allied pincer movement.
Nine British paratroopers and nine American soldiers, among more than 350,000 troops who stormed ashore Aug. 15, 1944, received the Legion of Honor, France's highest award, in separate ceremonies Saturday.
Defense minister's remarks
"France knows what it owes to the heroes of America who liberated us 60 years ago," Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said as she pinned the chests of the American veterans in a ceremony at the U.S. military cemetery in Draguignan and kissed each of the nine on both cheeks.
The veterans were seated between immaculate rows of 861 marble crosses and stars of David, beneath U.S. and French flags.
"We have never forgotten. We will never forget," she said, expressing France's "eternal recognition."
Both Alliot-Marie and Adm. Gregory Johnson, commander of U.S. Naval forces in Europe, praised the French-America friendship, making no reference to the discord over the U.S. invasion of Iraq that strained ties.