A ceremony of tribute to the dead and heroes of the National Gendarmerie took place this Thursday, February 16, at the Deflandre barracks, in Dijon, in the presence in particular of Marie-Guite Dufay, François-Xavier Dugourd and François Rebsamen.
The law of February 16, 1791 gave birth to the constabulary. The National Gendarmerie has therefore chosen this anniversary date to honor its dead and its heroes.
This Thursday, February 16, 2023, in the Deflandre district, in Dijon, the ceremony of taking up arms was presided over by General of Division Édouard Hubscher, commander of the gendarmerie region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, accompanied by General Hubert Charvet, commander of the Gendarmerie School of Dijon, and Amelle Ghayou, Deputy Secretary General of the Côte-d’Or Prefecture, who was thus making her first official outing since taking office.
A large delegation
Among the civil and military authorities, we also found, Marie-Guite Dufay (PS), president of the regional council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, François-Xavier Dugourd (LR, NE), deputy vice-president of the departmental council of the Côte -d’Or, François Rebsamen (PS, FP), president of the Métropole de Dijon, Nathalie Koenders (PS), first deputy mayor of Dijon, Rémi Delatte (LR), deputy mayor of Saint-Apollinaire, Olivier Caracotch, Dijon public prosecutor, Lieutenant-Colonel Étienne Royal, departmental military delegate, Brigadier General Pascal Hurtault, former commander of the Dijon gendarmerie school, Bruno Dupuis, departmental director of the National Office for Veterans and war victims, Guillaume Piney, interregional director of the Dijon prison services, and Pauline Rossignol, director of the Dijon remand center.
Under the orders of Colonel Fabrice Jauffred, head of the employment division of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté gendarmerie region, there were representatives of the Dijon research section, the Dijon company, the specialized platoon of protection of the Valduc gendarmerie, the departmental road safety squadron, police trainees, mobile gendarmes, the Dijon GIGN branch and gendarmerie cadets.
Nine gendarmes who died in service in the last twelve months
Since February 16, 2022, throughout France, nine National Gendarmerie soldiers have died in service. Their names were cited by Major Florence Thimonier.
– Major Jean-Jacques Bloy of the motorized brigade of Saint-Girons (09) died on May 13, 2022 at the age of 37;
– Chief Warrant Officer Jean-François Jacquemard of the 25/4 Territorial Reserve Company of Besançon (25) who died on June 16, 2022 at the age of 60;
– Chief Warrant Officer Mickaël Desbois of the 32/3 Mobile Gendarmerie Squadron in Luçon (85) who died on June 19, 2022 at the age of 50;
– Captain Jérôme Favier of the National Gendarmerie intervention group (78) who died on July 1, 2022 at the age of 33;
– Constable Nicolas Fallot of the local flow control group in Ligny-en-Barrois (55), who died on September 29, 2022 at the age of 35;
– Major Thomas Cavaillon-Pinod of the motorized brigade of Biarritz (64) who died on October 13, 2022 at the age of 29;
– Major Jean-Christophe Bolloch of the research section of Rennes (35) who died on October 25, 2022 at the age of 47;
– the chief quartermaster Christophe Georget of the territorial reserve company 41/1 of Blois (41) who died on November 15, 2022 at the age of 41;
– Major Maximilien Maes of the motorized brigade of Aubenas (07) died on January 20, 2023 at the age of 32.
The soldiers injured in 2022 were associated with this tribute. According to the National Gendarmerie, in 2022, 8,700 gendarmes were injured, including 2,500 by assault, by weapon (nearly 700) or firearm (nearly 70). This corresponds to an increase of 14% compared to 2021.
“The Republic is proud of the National Gendarmerie!”
Representing the prefect of the Côte-d’Or, Amelle Ghayou read the message from Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, for whom the dead honored this day “embodied the Gendarmerie in what is most absolute”.
“This tribute, we owe it to your comrades. They remind us of the demands of your vocation as a policeman. They also remind us that the service of our fellow citizens deserves all self-sacrifice, all sacrifices; that he is the source of all heroism”, declared the minister through this message.
“Gendarmes, you are the first lines and last resort. You are a reassuring presence and a protective hand. You are ramparts in the face of crimes and help in the face of difficulties,” he added. “The French know that in times of uncertainty and crisis that we are going through, they can count on you. (…) Be proud to serve in this uniform as the Republic is proud of the National Gendarmerie!”
Under the gaze of the standard-bearers, six wreaths were laid near the tribute plaque before the ringing of “Aux Morts” and “La Marseillaise” rang out.
Jean-Christophe Tardivon
