Senior II. World War Leon Gautier, Of the 177 Frenchmen who participated in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, the last survivor died at 12:00 this Monday. 100 years, as confirmed by official sources.
“Liberation Hero Léon Gautier passed away. We will not forget him”, French President Emmanuel Macron said the following on his Twitter account after learning the news.
The president, who coincided with this member of Kieffer’s command with various accolades, also recalled that Gautier once repeated the following message: “We are not heroes, we are just doing our duty.”
Born in October 1922 In the city of Rennes in Brittany, Gautier was 17 years old in February 1940. He joined the Navy shortly after the start of World War II.
In June of the same year, after participating in various defense exercises in the west of the country France surrenders to Nazi GermanyHe sailed to England, where he entered the service of General Charles de Gaulle, who began to organize the resistance there.
In 1943 he volunteered with the 1st Marine Rifle Commando Battalion, later known as. “kieffer commands” by captain Philippe Kieffer.
Gautier, along with 176 other French Day D About 156,000 soldiers of the Allied forces captured the French coast of Normandy in an operation of an unprecedented scale in Europe, a turning point in the fight against Nazi Germany.
Today, the Minister of Defense of the country, who respectfully commemorates Gautier, the symbolic figure in the history of France, Sebastien Lecornu.
“Léon Gautier is dead. last survivor Of the famous Kieffer commando, the only French unit to land on the morning of June 6, 1944. Efforts to keep alive the memory of the free French who fought for our freedom will continue.”