France
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Marcel Bigeard
Toul, France
Archival Overview
One of the most decorated soldiers in modern French history, a World War II French Resistance fighter and paratrooper commander at Dien Bien Phu and in Algeria.
Biographical Record
Marcel Bigeard began as a bank clerk before being drafted in 1936. Captured by German forces in 1940, he escaped from a POW camp on his third attempt, joined the Free French, and parachuted into occupied Ariège to lead maquis guerrilla units against the Nazis.
Bigeard commanded the 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion during the First Indochina War, earning hero status during the siege of Dien Bien Phu. Later commanding the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment in the Battle of Algiers, he rose to four-star general and served as Secretary of State for Defense under President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
Key Life Milestones
Heroic Stand at Dien Bien Phu
Parachuted into the besieged valley of Dien Bien Phu, leading counter-attacks with legendary courage until the garrison fell.
Secretary of State for Defense
Appointed by President Giscard d'Estaing to reform the French military and improve soldiers' living conditions.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialFréjus, France