In turn and every hour, from 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th classes of the Saint-Régis private college took turns in the Henri-Vinay garden, in front of the departmental commemorative monument (the only one in Haute -Loire). On site, they attended a course combining local history, civics and solidarity.
In total, 120 municipalities lost at least one national that day
Local history, because this day corresponded to a symbolic date for Haute-Loire. On December 12, 1914, the fighting at Seicheprey (Lorraine) took place, a day which was the deadliest of the First World War for the department. In total, 120 municipalities lost at least one national that day. In front of the monument erected “to the glory of the children of Haute-Loire who died for their homeland”, a teacher was responsible for reading the very moving letter written by adjutant Gaston Abougit, on December 11, 1914, the day before his death in forehead.
A member of the 286th infantry regiment based in Haute-Loire, he had just received the order to leave his trench to take a German trench: “The company leaves first, this is to tell you that we will be the first to come out of the trenches. The game, as you see, is serious: we know and know those who will leave, but how many will return? », he wrote to his wife. This speaking time also allowed a good number of students to discover the memorial monument in the Henri-Vinay garden. The latter was installed to pay tribute to the soldiers who died during the war between France and Germany in 1870 and 1871.
Its construction was made possible thanks to the mobilization of the population. The children of a primary school in Cussac-sur-Loire had collected 5.40 francs. The commune of Brives-Charensac had donated 30 francs. A concert organized in Le Puy with a choir brought in 120 francs. During 1895, more than 28,000 francs were collected. This sum made it possible to erect a remarkable and durable monument, in Blavozy stone and Alpine limestone, decorated with a bronze statue representing the allegory of a warrior in Antiquity.
Support Bleuet de France
The reminder of this citizen mobilization allowed Professor Richard Crespy, professor of history and geography and local historian at the origin of this initiative, to make the link with the Bleuet challenge. Ahead of this day, the students of the heritage class of Saint-Régis college had tried to mobilize as many of their classmates as possible, by proposing the sale of Bleuets de France. Nearly one in two middle school students at the establishment had purchased one, or 210 Blueberries sold. This symbol of remembrance, which has existed for more than a century, is dedicated to the war wounded, orphans of soldiers who fell for France, victims of terrorism.
Supporting Bleuet de France means standing alongside people who are committed and who are still committed today, risking their lives to protect their fellow human beings. And above all, wearing the Bleuet de France as the Saint-Régis schoolchildren did last Thursday, “is to show gratitude to those who have given or are still giving their lives today for the Nation”.
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