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Call of June 18: Macron at Mont Valérien with two illustrious veterans

2021-06-22T07:18:21.567Z


The Head of State commemorated this Friday the 81st anniversary of the appeal of June 18, 1940 by General de Gaulle, in the presence of the last compag


President Emmanuel Macron commemorated on Friday at Mont Valérien the 81st anniversary of the appeal of June 18, 1940 by General de Gaulle, in the presence of the last companion of the Liberation, Hubert Germain, and the sole survivor of the Kieffer commando, Léon Gautier, as well that of Colette Marin-Catherine, the resistant made famous by a documentary recently awarded an Oscar.

In the presence of the Prime Minister and several members of the government, he notably elevated Léon Gautier, 98, to the rank of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor, and decorated with the military medal four active men who distinguished themselves in external operations, particularly in the Sahel.

Previously he received at the Elysée Léon Gautier and Colette Marin-Catherine, "tireless witness of the merits of his deported resistance brother" and former resistance member herself, "two personalities marked by their concern for transmitting the memory of the Resistance and of its values ​​”, according to the Elysee.

The 92-year-old resistance fighter, made famous by the 2021 Oscar-winning documentary "Colette", received the resistance medal for her brother posthumously.

After the decorations, the president then approached Hubert Germain, bowing and shaking the hands of the centenarian wearing his green beret and seated in his wheelchair in front of the immense Cross of Lorraine adorning the wall of the monument.

They then gathered in the crypt where the last of the Order of the Liberation, an early resistance member who left for London at the end of June 1940, will be buried.

Read also Mont-Valérien, a site to remember the atrocities of war

A legionary during World War II, Hubert Germain fought in Syria, Libya where he took part in the battle of Bir-Hakeim, in Egypt, in Italy, in Provence, in the Vosges and in Alsace.

Wounded and decorated by General de Gaulle at the end of June 1944 in Italy, the veteran is now a resident of the Invalides.

Only 1,038 people received the title of Companion of the Liberation.

"We owe it to ourselves to be inspired by this strength of soul", the Head of State told him on June 18, 2020: "Your courage, your virtue in the Roman sense of the term, are a source of pride for our country and for us. still inspire ”.

The 177 Marines of the Free French Forces of the Kieffer commando, integrated into the Royal Marine Commando N ° 4, are the only Frenchmen in uniform to have taken part in the Allied landings.

Bearing the name of Lieutenant-Commander Philippe Kieffer, who had formed this group of volunteers, the commando, trained in Scotland, landed on June 6, 1944 at Sword Beach.

During the visit of the crypt, Prime Minister Jean Castex exchanged outside with several young children descended from resistance fighters, who wore the decorations of their ancestors, discussing with them their memory and the importance of transmitting this memory, a political will of President Macron as the last direct witnesses of the war disappear.

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2021-06-22

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