 He served in the French army as well, and became a Commander of the Legion of Honour, received the Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star and other war medals.His son, Robert Rodolphe Koechlin (1916–1971) also was a Commander of the Legion of Honour.Paul Koechlin (1852–1907) was the winner of one of the earliest automobile races in the world, the 1895 Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race.