The American Society of Le Souvenir Francais, Inc., has honored Gloucester County’s Historic Resources Supervisor Robert Kelly with a 2024 “Medaille d’Honneur,” or Medal of Honor.
Le Souvenir Francais (French Remembrance) has several chapters dedicated to preserving the memory of French soldiers who lost their lives in war. They memorialize both soldiers whose names are known and those who were buried anonymously. It’s a solemn charge, which in certain ways parallels the work done at Arlington National Cemetery.
Kelly’s medal comes from a dual partnership he forged with this organization. He’s collaborated with it in his role as Vice President of The American Friends of Lafayette, and as a county museum employee working to memorialize the 1781 Battle of the Hook, which happened on the grounds of modern-day Abingdon Elementary School.
That cavalry battle was important to the siege of Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. Five French men who were fighting for American freedom either died in the battle, or succumbed to their wounds after it was over.
Kelly, along with the society’s president, Thierry Chaunu, brought in members of the French military, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, the Gloucester Historical Society and other local historians to fundraise and craft a stone memorial for these soldiers. Their names, dates of death and a short epitaph are now engraved and displayed, so their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
The marker was dedicated in a ceremony that also included songs from Abingdon’s fourth grade class, words from county supervisor Chris Hutson, and a wreath-laying by a representative from the Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.
“Thanks to you, the memorial to the French soldiers at Abingdon Elementary School was installed this past October and the dedication ceremony a particularly poignant one,” Chaunu wrote in his letter about the medal.
For his part, Kelly said accolades are not part of the reason people take on this type of work, but he was nevertheless “at a loss for words and truly honored.”
“There’s a higher calling for this type of work,” he said. “When you do these things, it’s about: how can we educate future generations about important events from the past? How can we inspire people, especially local students, to appreciate the rich history found in their own community?”
To learn more about the Battle of the Hook and the soldiers who fought for freedom in Gloucester County, visit the Gloucester Museum of History. For more information, call 804-693-1234 or email rkelly@gloucesterva.info.