For the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Rambouillet, Denise Campbell Bauer, US Ambassador to France, attended the commemoration on Friday, August 23, 2024.
This had not happened in seventy-six years. On the occasion of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Rambouillet, on Friday, August 23, the city welcomed Denise Campbell Bauer, the US ambassador to France and Monaco.
“The last time we received the ambassador of the United States was in 1947, during the dedication of the American monument,” recalls Véronique Matillon, mayor of Rambouillet, during the tribute on Friday, August 23, 2024, to American soldiers who fell for France.
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This monument, on the road to Gazeran, was inaugurated on June 1, 1947 by Vincent Auriol, President of the Republic, Jefferson Caffrey, US Ambassador to France, Henri Petit, Mayor of Rambouillet.
“We are honored that such a large number of local leaders and volunteers, who work all year round to keep the commemoration alive, are present today,” the ambassador said at the end of the ceremony. Your dedication is a source of inspiration for the celebration of liberation, and we thank you for it. It is a testament to both the scope and solidity of the relationship between the United States and France.
“Human history also unfolds on a local scale”
The ceremony for this 80th anniversary took place in several stages, in the presence especially of Gérard Larcher, President of the Senate and former mayor of the city, Aurore Bergé, Minister of Equality between Women and Men and Deputy of the 10th Constituency of Yvelines. , Frédéric Rose, prefect. A first stop therefore at the American monument, which bears the image of the eagle, symbol of the United States, to recall some of the facts.
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On August 19, after several failed ambush attempts, “the 7th American Armored Division entered Rambouillet, this time liberated for good, while they waited for the Leclerc Division on August 23,” recalls Augustin Rey, municipal councilor in charge of military and patriotic affairs. Nine American soldiers died during the liberation of the city.
After this first tribute, elected officials and public figures then went to the roundabout on 23 August 1944.
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Stories and testimonies allowed us to delve a little further into history. “Eighty years ago, General Leclerc, on orders from General de Gaulle, decided to launch an offensive to retake Paris from the Germans. On August 25, the French capital was liberated. Human history is also played out on a local scale,” emphasizes Véronique Matillon.
Jade saved