Jean Thouvenin, last Meuse veteran of the Liberation, will receive his Legion of Honor

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On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Strasbourg, this Saturday November 23, Jean Thouvenin98 years old, last Meuse veteran of the Liberation will be decorated with the Legion of Honor by President Emmanuel Macron, reveals L’Est Républicain.

An exceptional journey praised by the Republic

Jean Thouvenin is one of the four veterans who will be decorated this Saturday by the President of the Republic. “I didn’t expect it anymore”he confided, moved to our colleagues, before adding: “It is an important recognition in my eyes and for all those who fought alongside me. »

Despite his advanced age, his memory remains vivid. In November 1944, barely an adult, Jean Thouvenin leaves his native Meuse to join the 1st French Army under the command of General de Lattre de Tassigny. Assigned to the 431st medical battalion, he participated in the Alsace campaign and in particularly grueling combat in the area around Colmar.

“The greatest losses took place in Jebsheim. Three days and three nights of fierce fighting to reconquer the village,” he remembers. Responsible for helping the wounded, he admits with emotion: “We picked up the wounded, not the dead… we didn't have time. »

“It was long, but I did it for my country”

After the Liberation, his commitment continued. Initially planned for a landing in Japan, it was redirected towards Indochina after the end of the Pacific War.

Within the French Expeditionary Force in the Far East (CEFEO), he spent 27 months away from home, a significant experience which he summarizes as follows: “It was long, but I did it for my country. »

Returning to France in 1948, he began a career at the SNCF and became an active witness to the memory of the war. “Peace is a precious commodity», he likes to remind the students he meets to pass on his story.

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