APA-Ndjamena (Chad) The recipients were awarded the ‘Croix du Combattant’ medal, a French honour created in 1930.
Three Chadian veterans living in Sarh in the southern province of Moyen-Chari were honoured yesterday 14 February by France through its embassy in Chad.
The Defence Attaché at the French Embassy, Colonel Christian Piot, presented them with the Croix du Combattant medal during a ceremony at the ‘Maison du Combattant’ in Sarh.
This medal is a French honorary decoration created in 1930 to honour those who fought in the French army during the First World War and the Second.
“When you’re a veteran, you can wear the ‘Croix du Combattant’ medal.
In the end, it was never awarded to them. I’ve come to present them with this decoration today,” said Colonel Christian Piot.
The bravery and spirit of Chadian veterans of the French army, who played a very important role in the liberation of German-occupied France during the Second World War, were praised during the ceremony.
“France will be eternally grateful to them,” said the embassy’s defence attaché.
The mission led by Colonel Christian Piot also aims to take a census of veterans, widows and orphans in order to have an accurate count in the electronic file. The census begins on 15 February.
He invited the orphans to preserve memories of their veteran parents.
CA/ac/fss/as/APA