A historic love story
In the picturesque town of Carentan-les-Marais, 100-year-old World War II veteran Harold Terens will marry his 96-year-old fiancée, Jeanne Swerlin, this Saturday. The ceremony comes just days after Terens was honored at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which occurred mere kilometers away.
Celebration of love and history
The wedding will be a private affair attended by close family and friends. “We are very honored that Mr. Terens has chosen to get married here, in Carentan, where the Allied troops from the Utah and Omaha beach landings met in June 1944,” Mayor Jean-Pierre Lhonneur told AFP. The town plans to present Terens with champagne and a special gift in gratitude for his role in the liberation of France.
D-Day commemoration activities
Following the wedding, Terens may participate in a veterans’ parade in Carentan, depending on his condition, according to Sarah Pasquier, the town hall’s representative for D-Day commemorations. The evening will feature a 1940s-themed liberation ball, open to local residents and soldiers from the nearby American base, though Terens and his new bride may opt to rest after their big day.
A Love rekindled late in life
Harold Terens, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, was awarded the French Legion of Honour by President Emmanuel Macron in 2019. After the war, he married his first wife, Thelma, with whom he spent 70 years and raised three children until her passing in 2018. In 2021, Terens was introduced to Swerlin, a vibrant widow, and the two quickly became inseparable.
“She lights up my life, she makes everything beautiful,” Terens shared in a recent interview. Swerlin added, “He’s an unbelievable guy. He’s handsome—and he’s a good kisser.”
A joyous union
As they prepare to exchange vows, Terens and Swerlin’s love story serves as a testament to the enduring power of love and the remarkable lives of the Greatest Generation.
