« 82 years ago, 156,000 Allied soldiers crossed the Channel or jumped into the Normandy night HAS”. At the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, the voice of the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans was raised on June 6. HAS” They did not wear the same uniform, did not speak the same language and did not have the same flag. But they shared this conviction, stronger than fear: there are moments when the freedom of one people involves the honor of all others.»
Present in Normandie à l’occasion du 82e anniversary of the Allied landing, Catherine Vautrin participated in several commemorative ceremonies, including the international ceremony, the Green Beret ceremony and the ceremony organized at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. The opportunity to pay tribute to the allied fighters engaged in the liberation of France and Europe and to recall the common heritage of the nations who participated in Operation Overlord.
At the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, in the presence of Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State for War of the United States, the minister underlined the exceptional nature of the sacrifice made by the Allied forces during the Battle of Normandy. More than 20,000 Americans lost their lives. HAS” To these men, France maintains eternal recognition“, she declared in front of the 9,386 graves of the American cemetery.
Yesterday’s war, today’s alliances
« Freedom has regained a foothold on the European continent » on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, recalled the minister. This year, the D-Day landing ceremonies particularly resonate with the security challenges facing democracies today.
On the sidelines of the commemorations, Catherine Vautrin spoke with Pete Hegseth. The discussions focused in particular on the Europeanization of NATO, defense industries, support for Ukraine, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the situation in Lebanon as well as security issues in the Indo-Pacific. HAS” At a time when the freedom of people is threatened on the European continent, France and the United States remember what has been the strength of their friendship for 250 years.“, recalled the minister.
She also spoke with her British counterpart on the sidelines of the ceremonies, an illustration of dialogue and cooperation between allies in the face of major contemporary strategic issues.
“If Colleville speaks to us so much today, it is also because the war has returned to our continent,” recalled the minister. More than eight decades after the D-Day landings, this trip illustrated the continuity between the sacrifice of the Allies in 1944, the strategic solidarity which still unites the democracies today and the preparation of the capacities necessary for the defense of freedom.
Preparing the defense of tomorrow
The day before the ceremonies, the minister wanted to meet the defense players present in Normandy. In Bayeux, she visited FACTEM, a defense industrial and technological base company specializing in military communications systems. Heir to century-old industrial know-how, the company designs and produces equipment in France used by land, naval and air forces. This visit highlighted the contribution of defense SMEs to national industrial sovereignty and the development of the operational capabilities of the armed forces.
Catherine Vautrin also went to the Port-en-Bessin semaphore to meet the sailors who ensure permanent surveillance of the Normandy coast. In a particularly demanding maritime area, marked by dense traffic and sometimes difficult navigation conditions, active sailors, reservists and soon to be called up from national service participate daily in the safety of sea users and the protection of French maritime approaches.
