The Case for Recognizing Louisiana's Cajun WWII Heroes
When American forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in June 1944, military commanders quickly sent out urgent calls for "Frenchies" - young Cajun soldiers from Louisiana whose French-speaking abilities would prove invaluable in communicating with local populations. These soldiers, who had grown up speaking French as their first language, suddenly found themselves thrust into critical roles as interpreters and cultural liaisons across Europe and North Africa.
Yet nearly eight decades later, these Cajun veterans still lack the official recognition they deserve—a troubling oversight made even more concerning in light of recent efforts to erase other minority military contributions from our national memory.
From Shame to Pride: A Heritage Once Scorned
The irony wasn't lost on these young men. Just years earlier, many had been punished for speaking the very language that now made them indispensable to the Allied war effort.
"When Norris Morvant was growing up in Thibodaux, he was made to feel ashamed. The reason: He spoke French." Morvant was among approximately 25,000 Cajuns who served in World War II, part of a generation that experienced discrimination in a state-sanctioned English-only school system designed to "Americanize" them.
The parallels to today's debates are striking. As I recently wrote in my Substack article "The New Executive Order on English," making English the official language of the United States risks marginalizing the very linguistic diversity that has repeatedly proven crucial to our national security and military effectiveness.
A Different Kind of Linguistic Warrior
While the Navajo Code Talkers have rightfully earned fame for their crucial role in developing an unbreakable code based on their native language, the Cajun soldiers served in a fundamentally different yet equally vital capacity. Their mission wasn't to encode messages but to bridge cultures—building relationships, gathering intelligence, and enabling cooperation with local populations across liberated territories.
Versatile Contributors to Victory
The roles of these "Frenchies" varied widely. Some worked directly with high command, like Norris Morvant who was assigned to Gen. Eisenhower's headquarters. Others found themselves in dramatic situations, like the grandfather who helped save the crew of a French bomber by translating emergency landing instructions.
Some Cajun soldiers even took on clandestine roles, serving as secret agents who passed as locals to work with the French underground. Their ability to blend in with French civilians made them invaluable for intelligence gathering and resistance coordination.
Unsung Heroes: Specific Cajun Translators and Their Stories
The stories of individual Cajun translators reveal the breadth and significance of their contributions. Here are a few of these remarkable individuals:
Sam Broussard from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, served as an intelligence officer with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). He came ashore on Omaha Beach on D-Day as the intelligence officer with the US First Army and led special forces detachment units throughout Normandy and Brittany on missions alongside French resistance groups behind enemy lines. Broussard's fluency in French allowed him to coordinate with local resistance fighters and gather crucial intelligence that would have been inaccessible to English-only speakers.
Norris Morvant from Thibodaux worked directly with high command. In his office, he grew accustomed to seeing figures like General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French forces, and Winston Churchill, the British prime minister. One of his most significant assignments was when he was ordered to deliver gasoline three days in a row to General Patton, who was preparing for the Battle of the Bulge.
James Warren David had a distinguished career in the navy and served as an interpreter for a vice admiral, using his native French to communicate with French leaders. His language skills bridged critical communication gaps at the highest levels of naval command.
Roy Armentor and Claude Galley were part of a 15-man OSS Special Forces team codenamed PEG that parachuted into the mountainous region of Southern France on August 11, 1944. For two weeks, they conducted hit-and-run missions behind enemy lines alongside their French counterparts, before both were severely wounded.
Ned Arceneaux from Lafayette had a particularly unique role. Of the 450 men in US Army VII Corps HQ, he was the only one who spoke French. As the Quartermaster for his unit, Ned was in charge of procuring supplies. When they landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, his French-speaking abilities proved invaluable. He served as an interpreter for Gen. J. Lawton Collins, known as "Lightning Joe," one of the senior leaders.
Houston Duhon, a Cajun soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice, was killed at Omaha Beach on the first wave of the D-Day landings. His story represents the many Cajun servicemen who gave their lives while serving as cultural and linguistic bridges during the liberation of Europe.
Jeff DeBlanc, known as "The Cajun Ace," demonstrated how language skills could be valuable even in aerial combat scenarios. After shooting down five enemy aircraft in one engagement in the South Pacific (earning him the Congressional Medal of Honor), he had to ditch his plane in the ocean due to a fuel tank malfunction. He was confident in his ability to survive because "he was reared in the Atchafalaya Basin swamp and he could speak fluent French and a bit of Spanish to communicate to the natives if he had to."
These individual stories represent just a fraction of the estimated 25,000 Cajuns who served in World War II. Their collective impact on the success of Allied operations, particularly in France and Belgium, has been vastly underappreciated in our national historical narrative.
The Time for Recognition is Now
For many Cajun veterans, wartime service transformed their relationship with their heritage. Being called a "Frenchie" evolved from a schoolyard taunt to "a badge of honor," according to historian Jason Theriot.
But unlike the Navajo Code Talkers, who eventually received Congressional Gold Medals in 2001 (despite continued challenges to their legacy), the Cajun soldiers have never received comparable national recognition.
Theriot's oral-history interviews with about 200 "Frenchies" and documentaries like "Mon Cher Camarade" represent important steps in preserving their stories. But preservation isn't enough—they deserve formal acknowledgment of their contributions.
A Cautionary Tale for Today
The recent controversy over the removal of Navajo Code Talkers from military websites should serve as a wake-up call. As reported by Axios, at least 10 articles about the Code Talkers disappeared from Army and Department of Defense websites in March 2025, their URLs tagged with "DEI" labels following President Trump's executive order targeting diversity initiatives.
While much of this content was subsequently restored after public backlash, the incident demonstrates how quickly minority contributions to American military history can be marginalized or erased.
The Path Forward
If we truly value the service of all American veterans, we must advocate for:
Congressional recognition for Cajun WWII veterans, similar to that eventually granted to the Navajo Code Talkers
Permanent exhibits and educational resources documenting their contributions
Protection against attempts to minimize or erase the diverse linguistic and cultural heritage that strengthened America's military capacity
The war represented a pivotal moment for Cajun identity. What was once stigmatized became celebrated, setting the stage for the Cajun cultural renaissance that would blossom in later decades.
As we navigate contemporary debates about language, identity, and inclusion, let's remember that America's greatest strength has always been found in its diversity. Those who fought for that America deserve to be honored—not forgotten or erased from our collective memory.
Notes and Citations
Information on Cajun soldiers serving as interpreters comes from "The French-speaking Cajuns of WWII—Forging an Identity," a conversation with Jason Theriot, PhD and Jason Dawsey, PhD at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, which documents how these bilingual Cajuns proved invaluable assets as French language interpreters and translators.
Details about Norris Morvant's experiences and the discrimination Cajun soldiers faced are drawn from "WWII Museum to honor 'Frenchies,' Cajun translators who helped to win the war," published in The New Orleans Advocate on April 26, 2022.
Information about Jason Theriot's oral history project comes from his podcast "The Frenchie Podcast - Stories of the French-Speaking Cajuns of World War II," which features interviews with veterans like Norris Morvant, Sam Broussard, and others cited in this article.
The account of Cajun soldiers' various roles, including those who served as secret agents with the French underground, is documented in the LPB documentary "Mon Cher Camarade."
Information regarding the removal of Navajo Code Talkers content from military websites is based on reporting by Axios, "After Trump DEI order, Navajo Code Talkers disappear from military websites," published in March 2025.
Context about the Executive Order on English as the official language of the United States comes from NPR's reporting, "Trump signs executive order making English the official language of the U.S.," published in March 2025.
Information about Sam Broussard's service with the OSS and D-Day participation comes from "The Frenchie Podcast" hosted by Jason Theriot, and from "Cajun 'Frenchies' helped win the war," published in The Advocate on November 20, 2019.
Details about Norris Morvant's work with high command and interactions with General de Gaulle and Winston Churchill come from "WWII Museum to honor 'Frenchies,' Cajun translators who helped to win the war," published in The New Orleans Advocate.
Information about James Warren David, Willis Granger, and Jonas Perrin serving in the Navy comes from Episode 3 of "The Frenchie Podcast" titled "Cajuns in the Navy."
Details about Roy Armentor and Claude Galley's OSS Special Forces mission in Southern France come from "The Frenchie Podcast" on iHeart Radio.
Information about Ned Arceneaux serving as an interpreter for Gen. J. Lawton Collins on D-Day comes from "The Frenchie Podcast" on iHeart Radio.
Details about Houston Duhon's sacrifice at Omaha Beach come from "The Frenchie Podcast" on iHeart Radio.
Information about Jeff DeBlanc, "The Cajun Ace," comes from "The Frenchie Podcast" Episode 10 titled "Jeff DeBlanc."
This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology to aid in research and organization. The Author is responsible for its content.