Harold Terens, aged 100, participated in the historic Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
On Saturday, he tied the knot with Jeanne Swerlin, aged 96, just five miles away from the marshy coastline of Utah Beach, where tens of thousands of troops landed.
“This is the best day of my life,” remarked Terens of Lake Worth, Florida, dressed in a pale blue suit adorned with his war medal. Swerlin, clad in a pink dress and held tenderly by her partner, added, “Love isn’t just for the young. We still get butterflies and some excitement.”
Their wedding celebration was anything but ordinary. The couple was invited to a state dinner at the Élysée Palace with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron congratulated the newlyweds, eliciting cheers and applause from the guests, highlighting the strong friendship between France and America.
Their wedding coincided with the 80th anniversary of D-Day, marked by various celebrations and commemorations across northwest France. Approximately 200 veterans, including Terens, attended the festivities, organized by the California-based Best Defense Foundation.
The wedding ceremony itself was filled with symbolism and joy. Bagpipers played as the couple entered the town hall, where Mayor Jean-Pierre Lhonneur officiated the vows, met with enthusiastic affirmations from both.
While the ceremony was symbolic and not legally binding, the couple, both American citizens, could formalize their vows back in Florida if they desired.
Following the ceremony, they raised Champagne flutes to the gathered spectators from an upstairs window.
As Terens toasted to health, peace, and the end of conflicts like those in Ukraine and Gaza, he reflected on the significance of the anniversary and the sacrifices made during World War II.
Despite the solemnity of his memories, the wedding celebration remained joyful and spirited.
Terens’s wedding serves as a poignant connection to the past, particularly his wartime experiences and his ongoing reverence for the fallen soldiers.
The ceremony was a testament to enduring love and the resilience of the human spirit, with Swerlin playfully noting Terens’s affectionate demeanor and their shared happiness.
