Soldiers, police and firefighters launched the Joan of Arc Festival parade on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, shortly after 3 p.m. Between the engine noise of the Leclerc tank and loud applause.
We never really get used to it. The sound of the engine of a Leclerc tank. Achille, 5 years old, came on foot from the Saint-Marceau district with his mother. Don’t talk to him about anything else this Wednesday, May 8, he only wants one thing: “We came to see the tanks!” And he has four tanks in front of him. Huge. Impressive. Each weighs 57 tonnes, in a beautiful “brown, earth of France” color. And they make a hell of a noise: “It’s so good!”, says Achille to his mother.
The first Leclerc tank to cross the Pont Royal, shortly before 2 p.m. (Photo Alban Gourgousse)
Even those over the age of five are amazed by the flagship of the French army, housed in the large hangars of the 12th Cuirassier Regiment, based in Olivet. It is an understatement to say that the four Leclerc tanks present for the military parade for the Joan of Arc Festival made an impression on all the spectators. They took out their cell phones one by one to immortalize the moment. An hour earlier, these floats had taken the tramway to cross the Pont Royal to reach the starting point of the parade. A not ordinary vision of a machine with 1,500 horsepower and which can reach 80 km/h.
In Olivet, the 12th Cuirassier Regiment houses the Leclerc tank
The parade began shortly after 3 p.m., with an A400M transport plane flying over the city from Orléans-Bricy air base 123. Colonel Patrick Guillaume, commander of the 12th Cuirassier Regiment, was able to launch the festivities. Behind him, the different army corps followed one another.
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An A400M transport plane, from the Bricy air base, flew over Orléans, launching the military parade. (Photo Alban Gourgousse)
A parade mainly staffed by soldiers from Bricy (around 85) and the “12th leather” (105). The Orléanais were also able to discover soldiers from the National Navy, gendarmes, firefighters and police officers. Without forgetting the very discreet Special Forces of the Air Force: the air parachute commandos (CPA10 and CPA30), based in Bricy.
A light armored vehicle of the 12th Cuirassier Regiment rushing into Rue Jeanne d’Arc. (Photo Alban Gourgousse)
All were obviously very applauded by the many spectators present, with a slight preference nevertheless for the Leclerc tanks, the firefighters (and their sound horns which really pleased the crowd), and finally the police bicycle unit municipal of Orléans, very applauded.
The bicycle unit of the municipal police of Orléans, greatly applauded by the public. (Photo Alban Gourgousse)
Alban Gourgousse
