“We must not do anything”, at 17, he will carry the French flag this November 11

Originally from Haplincourt in Pas-de-Calais, Gabin Cognon followed training like no other to become… a standard bearer. At the age of 17, he therefore participated in the November 11 commemorations. This young lover of the tricolor flag told us about his journey.

“Like everywhere, the standard bearers are getting old“, this is the observation made by Michel Flahaut, mayor of the village of Haplincourt, in 2021. With his deputy, they then wanted to raise awareness among young people about this subject by offering them the opportunity to “take up the torch” elders.

“It's important because we are in a territory where wars have not been pretended.“, testifies the mayor. “Haplincourt was completely destroyed in 1917. The duty to remember, as we can clearly see today in the face of problems in the world, reminds us that we must not forget the war.”

After a few weeks of reflection, they finally came up with a project, in partnership with seven neighboring municipalities: create a school of standard bearers. Based on volunteering, this project attracted 15 young people between 2022 and 2023, including Gabin Cognon who has since officiated at the commemorations.

Originally from Haplincourt and studying the arts in Belgium, Gabin Cognon, 17, has a love of his country deep in his heart. When he learned that a flag-bearer training course was opening in his village, he did not hesitate. “As the old standard bearers began to age, it was necessary to pass on this knowledge and this history. I was offered, I accepted“, he says.

In his free time on Saturdays, he attended theoretical courses, but also practical courses on how to properly wear the tricolor flag. “I like France, I like my country. We had war history lessons and historical files, then former standard bearers explained everything to us.“

Almost like godfathers, the elders accompanied the young people during their training, at the end of which they were able to recover the flag of their predecessors. A moment filled with emotion for Gabin. “He gave me his flag because he no longer has the strength to carry out all the commemorations. It puts pressure, because the flag has a story, just like the person who gave it to me. When you receive it, you are proud, you also have a little weight on your shoulders because you must not do anything.“

During the commemorations, Gabin follows a strict protocol. He therefore had to train before mastering the basics of the exercise. He details: “when we arrive on the scene, the flag must already be unfolded, we cannot unfold it in front of the monument otherwise it would be a lack of respect. Then, I sit next to the mayor or the musicians, and we wait for the Marseillaise. During the anthem, the flag must be lowered with arms outstretched. Then, we move forward with the mayor.”

Thanks to this training, the young man has already been able to officiate around ten times, notably during the burial of a former standard bearer, but also during the commemorations of November 11 in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, he is therefore participating in the November 11th of the commune of Haplincourt this year, already experienced in the exercise, but not without some jitters. “Before, I'm a little stressed, I'm always afraid of making a mistake” he confides, “but in the meantime, I regain confidence in myself, because it's a pleasure and I'm proud to carry the French flag.“