Yates Stirling, Jr. (April 30, 1872 – January 27, 1948) was a decorated and controversial Rear Admiral in the United States Navy whose 44-year career spanned from several years before the Spanish–American War to the mid-1930s.
 He was awarded the Navy Cross and French Legion of Honor for distinguished service during World War One.
 The elder son of Rear Admiral Yates Stirling, he was an outspoken advocate of American sea power as a strong deterrent to war and to protect and promote international commerce.
 During Stirling's naval career and following retirement, he was a frequent lecturer, newspaper columnist and author of numerous books and articles, including his memoirs, "Sea Duty: The Memoirs of a Fighting Admiral", published in 1939.
René Cheruy (1880-1965) was a soldier, educator and artist who served as a secretary to French sculptor Auguste Rodin, was a professor of French language and literature, was decorated by the French and British governments receiving the Croix de Guerre and the British Silver Military Medal for bravery in the field and was decorated with the Cross of the French Legion of Honor by French President Charles de Gaulle for his service to the French government during and after World War I.
 He was married to costume designer, artist and educator Germaine Cheruy and lived in the Art Colony of old Fort Lowell.
Maurice Edwin Shearer (December 19, 1879 – June 26, 1953) was a highly decorated Brigadier General in the United States Marine Corps.
 In 1918, Major Shearer of the 5th Marine Regiment, led Marines in the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood in France, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, French Legion of Honor (Chevalier) and Croix de Guerre.
George Gideon Blackburn, CM, MC (February 3, 1917 – November 15, 2006) was a decorated Canadian veteran of World War II (Military Cross; French Legion of Honour), a playwright and award winning author.
 Born in Wales, Ontario, Blackburn worked as a newspaper reporter for the "Ottawa Journal" in Pembroke, Ontario.
Brigadier General Arthur Seymour Champeny (August 13, 1893 – April 11, 1979) is the only American to earn the Distinguished Service Cross in three different wars.
 In addition to his three Distinguished Service Crosses, he was awarded the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, five Purple Hearts, two French Croix de Guerre, the French Legion of Honor, and the Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valor.
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (] ; 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French general and statesman.
 He was the leader of Free France (1940–44) and the head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–46).
 In 1958, he founded the Fifth Republic and was elected as the President of France, a position he held until his resignation in 1969.
 He was the dominant figure of France during the Cold War era and his memory continues to influence French politics.
Gurmukh Singh Saini (IOM, Cr St Geo), a Sikh soldier from the village Gadram Badi of Ropar in district Ambala of the province of Punjab in British India, won the Indian Order of Merit 1st Class in World War I for splendid courage on the battlefield on the night of 1 March 1916.
 He was also awarded the Cross of St. George, being Imperial Russia's highest exclusively military award for gallantry in the face of enemy, it held the same value and honor as the British Victoria Cross, US Medal of Honor, or French Legion of Honor (and would be the equivalent of the Indian Param Vir Chakra).
 The order was awarded to officers and generals for special gallantry, such as, personally leading his troops in rout of a superior enemy force, or capturing a fortress, etc.
 The Cross of St. George was an extension of the Order of St. George for non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and like it Cross of St. George was awarded in four classes and "only for extreme bravery in face of the enemy".
To Hell and Back is Audie Murphy's 1949 World War II memoir, detailing the events that led him to receive the Medal of Honor and also to become one of the most decorated foot-soldiers of the war.
 Although only Murphy's name appears on the book cover, it was in fact a collaboration with writer David "Spec" McClure.
 After securing a publishing contract in 1947, Murphy and McClure worked on the book through 1948 in Murphy's Hollywood apartment.
 Murphy did write some of the prose himself, but most of it was in "as told to" style, with the writing left to McClure.
 They traveled to France in 1948 where Murphy was presented with the French Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre with Palm from the French government.
 While in France, Murphy received permission to visit the battle sites.
 The two men retraced 1,500 miles of battlefield as Murphy related details of the events to McClure.
Bahij al-Khatib (Arabic: بهيج الخطيب‎ ‎ ) (1895–1981) was a French-appointed Syrian Head of State from July 10, 1939 to September 16, 1941.
 He was staunchly loyal to the continued French administration of Syria and opposed all aspirations for independence.
 Al-Khatib was educated in Mount Lebanon and was an oil merchant in Beirut before entering politics.
 He began his political career when he joined the civil service in Damascus after France imposed its League of Nations mandate over Syria and Lebanon in July 1920.
 Due to his loyalty to the French administration, he rose to be Director of Police and Public Security, and lead a campaign of intimidation and harassment of nationalist leaders and organizations.
 When the Nationalist Hashim al-Atassi, the first president of the newly declared Syrian Republic, resigned in protest over continued French prevarication against full independence, al-Khatib was appointed in his stead by the French authorities.
 Due to his extreme unpopularity, he was eventually asked to resign by French president Charles de Gaulle in 1941.
François Géré (born August 28, 1950), a French historian specializing in geostrategy, is notably the founding president of the French strategic analysis institute, the "Institut français d’analyse stratégique" (IFAS).
 He is also an official representative for the French Institute of Higher National Defense Studies, the "Institut des Hautes études de défense nationale" (IHEDN) and research director at .
 He was awarded the distinction of Knight of the French Legion of Honor in 2005.

Question: In which year did the French President, who decorated René Cheruy with the Cross of the French Legion of Honor, resign ?
Answer: 1969