Former American soldier Harold Terence, who is 100 years old, married his 96-year-old fiancee, Frenchwoman Jeanne Swerlin, in the municipality of Carantan-le-Mare in Normandy, near the beaches where he landed 80 years ago, on June 6th, 1944, in the Allied forces in World War II.
“It’s the best moment of my life, I’m 100 years old and my fiancee is 96, and the wedding here in Karantan is amazing… I feel young again,” Terence told AFP after the ceremony and as he and the bride stood on the municipal balcony greeted the crowd of citizens.
Terence said that “his religion is love, and love conquers war.”
When in the wedding hall the registrar asked the fiancee in English if she agreed to have Terence as her husband, she exclaimed “Yes!” in French, followed by applause. And Terence answered in the affirmative, after which the registrar said that from now on they were married.
The bride and groom, who, together, are almost 200 years old, kissed to a standing ovation while the singer performed the song “Ave Maria”.
Jeanne, who wore a pink satin dress, said before the wedding that she had waited 96 years to find the right person and that her wedding was “like for kings and queens”.
Terence is from the United States (U.S.) state of Florida, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2019, and on Thursday he attended the “D-Day” celebration together with other veterans.
After World War II, he married Thelma, with whom he had three children. After the death of his first wife, he met Jeanne Swerlin, also a widow, and it was love at first sight.
E.Dz.
