Today's Date:

Monday, March 17 will be a national day to honor all those who fought for France during World War I.

At 11 A.M., President Sarkozy will attend the funeral of Lazare Ponticelli at the Saint-Louis des Invalides cathedral in Paris. Following the service, military honors will be bestowed upon the last French poilu of World War I.

The national tribute to WWI veterans will continue in the afternoon: At Les Invalides, the President will unveil a plaque in memory of all the soldiers of that war, and will give a speech attended by military personnel, schoolchildren and various public figures.

The Embassy of France in the United States joins in this national tribute and remembers the 50,000 American soldiers who died on French soil during the First World War. Corporal Frank Woodruff Buckles, age 107, is the last surviving American veteran of the Great War to have served in a combat zone. Mr. Buckles is a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award.