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BySylvieCorbet TheAssociatedPress PARIS The president of France pinned his country's highest award, the Legion d'Honneur, on three Amer- icans and a Briton on Mon- day, saying they "gave a les- son in courage" by subduing a heavily armed attacker on a high-speed train carrying 500 passengers to Paris. President Francois Hol- lande said that while two of the Americans who tackled the gunman were soldiers, "on Friday you were simply passengers. You behaved as soldiers but also as respon- sible men." Hollande then pinned the medals on U.S. Airman Spencer Stone, National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and their longtime friend Anthony Sadler. All took part in subduing the gun- man as he moved through the Amsterdam-to-Paris train with an assault rifle strapped to his bare chest. British businessman Chris Norman, who jumped into the fray, also received the medal. Unusualceremony The Americans looked earnest and slightly over- whelmed — and a little un- der-dressed — for the unan- ticipated event in the ornate Elysee Palace. Their short- sleeved polo shirts and khakis contrasted with the gilded and velvet-curtained ceremonial hall as Hollande read out their names one by one — and kissed them on each cheek, in French style. It was an unusual cere- mony for the French presi- dent's office too, as dozens of photographers loudly shouted out the Americans' names as they approached Hollande standing on the steps of the palace— unlike the quieter, more-subdued welcome for visiting heads of state. The four men lis- tened to a translation of Hollande's speech through earpieces, and the visibly proud mothers of Stone and Skarlatos looked on. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and U.S. Ambassador Jane Hart- ley also attended the cere- mony, along with the head of French national railway authority SNCF. The men showed "that faced with terror, we have the power to resist. You also gave a lesson in courage, in will, and thus in hope," Hol- lande said. Norman said it was less a question of heroism than survival. "I said to myself, 'You're not going to die sitting there doing nothing,'" he told The Associated Press after the ceremony. "I would do it again. But I don't know — I think you never know the reaction you will have in those kinds of situations." The businessman said he "never thought I'd ever been given such a medal. I will try to be a credit to this honor." His arm in a sling and his eye bruised, the 23-year-old Stone has said he was com- ing out of a deep sleep when the gunman appeared. Skarlatos, a 22-year-old National Guardsman who was recently back from Af- ghanistan, "just hit me on the shoulder and said 'Let's go,'" Stone said. 'Your sangfroid' With those words, Hol- lande said, a "veritable car- nage" was avoided. "Since Friday, the entire world admires your cour- age, your sangfroid, your spirit of solidarity. This is what allowed you to with bare hands — your bare hands — subdue an armed man. This must be an exam- ple for all, and a source of inspiration," Hollande said. Stone left later Monday for Ramstein, Germany, where U.S. air power in Europe is based, and then went for a military medi- cal check at Landstuhl Re- gional Medical Center, ac- cording to spokesman Juan Melendez. Skarlatos also traveled Monday to Germany "to accompany his friend af- ter the traumatic experi- ence they went through together," Melendez said. Sadler's plans were not made public. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Monday the U.S. military services are considering "appropriate awards to rec- ognize their heroic actions." Those recommendations would be up to each indi- vidual serviceThe gunman, identified as 26-year-old Moroccan Ayoub El-Khaz- zani, is detained and being questioned by French coun- terterrorism police outside Paris. TRAIN SHOOTING Am er ic an s, B ri to n wh o th wa rt ed attack get France's highest honor KAMILZIHNIOGLU—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS From le , French President Francois Hollande, U.S. National Guardsman from Roseburg, Ore., Alek Skarlatos, U.S. Ambassador to France Jane D. Hartley, U.S. Airman Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler, a senior at Sacramento State University in California, are seen as they leave the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, a er Hollande awarded the three men with the French Legion of Honor on Monday. CHITOSE SUZUKI — BOSTON HERALD James Stumbo, second from le , and Kevin Norton, right, both of Iowa, stand during their arraignment at Boston Municipal Court on Monday with their lawyers, Steven Goldwyn, le , and John O'Neill, Jr., second from right. By Denise Lavoie The Associated Press BOSTON Two men from Iowa made online threats against Pokemon competi- tors — referring to the Bos- ton Marathon bombings and the Columbine High School massacre — then drove 25 hours to Boston, where they were stopped as they tried to register for the World Pokemon Champion- ships, police said Monday. Kevin Norton, 18, of Ames, Iowa, and James Stumbo, 27, of Boone, Iowa, were ordered held without bail on gun charges Mon- day pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 1. Boston police Commis- sioner William Evans said the men made threatening statements in a closed on- line Pokemon forum and on other social media be- fore driving to Boston for the competition. Both were experienced players in- vited to attend the event at the Hynes Convention Center. The moderator of the Pokemon forum notified security at the convention center, then Hynes officials notified police, Evans said. The two men were stopped as they entered the conven- tion center Thursday and were held for questioning. Police seized their car, which they believed they had guns and ammuni- tion, but they released the men as they waited for a search warrant, Evans said. Norton and Stumbo were arrested Saturday morning at a hotel in Sau- gus, just north of Boston. Officers found a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR- 15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition and a hunting knife in their car. Police said nei- ther man was able to pro- duce a gun license. Evans said police are not sure what they intended to do, but believe they posed a "serious threat" to the people at the competition. "Inside, there were a lot of kids, a lot of gamers ... thank God we were able to cut off whatever these two individuals coming from Iowa were up to," Evans said at a news conference. Prosecutors said that in a Facebook chatroom con- versation involving several people, Stumbo referred to his AR-15 rifle, stat- ing, "MY AR-15 says you lose." They said Stumbo acknowledged posting, "Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!" as the caption below a picture of Norton's car with the AR- 15 and shotgun displayed on its trunk. 2 charged with threats to P ok em on c om pe ti to rs BOSTON | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015 8 A