Paris — The last surviving French veteran to participate in the Normandy beach landings in 1944 during World War II has passed away. Leon Gautier, aged 100, died shortly after attending a commemoration ceremony led by French President Emmanuel Macron on the now-peaceful beaches of Normandy.
The mayor of Ouistreham, a French community on the English Channel coast where the Allies landed on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), and where Gautier spent his final years, announced his death.
Originally from Rennes in northern France’s Brittany region, Gautier joined the French Navy in 1940 at the age of 17 to fight against Nazi Germany. As the German forces occupied most of France, Gautier fled to London and eventually became part of the elite “Commando Kieffer” unit led by General Charles de Gaulle.
During this year’s 79th anniversary D-Day commemoration services on June 6, Gautier was the last surviving member of the group of French troops who sailed from southern England alongside British and American forces to land on the beaches of Normandy.
The courageous Allied assault on Nazi-held northern France played a crucial role in shifting the balance of power in World War II.
Gautier had the opportunity to meet Macron during the ceremony and expressed that he would never forget the events of June 6th and the loss of his friend who was killed beside him. He emphasized the fragility of peace and the importance of preserving it.
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