Nearly 200 ceremonies took place this Monday, November 11, 2024 in the Eastern defense and security zone, for the 106th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918. Youth were at the heart of these commemorations with a desire to transmit memory.
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In the Eastern defense and security zone, nearly 200 ceremonies took place this Monday, November 11, 2024. The transmission of memory to young people was at the heart of these commemorations. In Metz (Moselle), for example, two delegations of young sailors from Military Preparation took part in the ceremony. Many middle and high school students were also in demand this Monday. General Pierre Gaudillière, military Governor of Nancy and commander of the fighter aviation brigade, was the guest of Ici 12/13 on France 3 Lorraine.
We must return to what November 11 is that we commemorate today. You have seen that there are representatives of the Army in Verdun, representatives of the National Navy with naval military preparation in Metz and an aviator general on this plateau, so the balance is well respected. In fact, this commemoration day is of course to remember the war of 14-18, the Armistice and the victory. And since 2012, it has also been remembering the French who died for France, whether civilian or military. It is important to come together around these founding values but also to exchange ideas between generations. And that’s really what we see around these 200 commemorations.
Young people are sensitive to it and they are present. We measure it because we see, for example, in flag-bearer associations, young people who carry the flags alongside the elders. We also see it with testimonies that are read during the ceremonies. I remember, for example, the ceremony of September 15, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Nancy, there were a lot of testimonies made by high school and college classes. We also see it with forms of commitment that young people implement, whether it is military preparations but also internships within the armies. We welcome interns in Year 3 and Year 2, to support this desire for commitment, which we feel is truly real among young people.
No. This November 11 is really about coming together around a very strong symbol, at the same time the Armistice, the victory and the deaths for France. But it's also a transmission, an exchange between generations, so it's really something structuring. November 11 reminds us what we owe to our elders and also how we must appropriate this history to better build the future. This is how young people should take and understand this day of commemoration.
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