Last Tuesday, as part of the National Day commemorating General de Gaulle's historic call to refuse defeat and to continue the fight against the enemy, a ceremony was held at the monument to the dead of the Collectivity of Saint- Martin.
The speech of Mrs. Geneviève Darrieussecq, Secretary of State to the Minister of the Armed Forces, was delivered by Mrs. Prefect Sylvie Feucher.
“As the irrevocable words flew away, I felt within myself a life ending, the one I had led within the framework of a solid France and an indivisible army. "Thus, in his Mémoires de guerre, Charles de Gaulle describes the minutes during which his voice carries a decisive message at the heart of the national tragedy. These moments mark a before and an after for a man now thrown "out of all series". This 49-year-old general, unknown to the general public, says he is ready to assume the honor of France at one of the worst moments in its national history. In dark hours, General de Gaulle instilled hope and lit a glow. Few saw this light, but this certain idea of France was that of Free France. In the generalized collapse, the simple and serious words of the Appeal of June 18 were a leaven of hope for the French who refused to accept defeat. These words were an answer for all those who did not resign themselves and for all those who wanted to fight. From then on, these men and women knew that the continuation of the military, moral and political combat was possible. So many trials, so much bravery and so many sacrifices were necessary to save the honor of the fatherland, to lead the Liberation of our country alongside the Allies, to place France on the winning side and to restore the Republic ! Today we pay tribute to the man of June 18. We also honor the memory of the men and women of the Free French Forces and the "army of shadows". We salute the dead of Bir-Hakeim and the more than a thousand executed from Mont-Valérien, the fighters from Kieffer and the maquisards, the resistance fighters from Limousin and the soldiers from Provence. The words of the Appeal of June 18, 1940 belong to our collective heritage and have helped to forge part of the identity of our Nation. 79 years later, with these words, we continue to write the history of France and to uphold the values of the Republic ”.
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