François de Canson: "The spirit of August 17, a living memory of freedom"

In a solemn atmosphere, François de Canson rekindled the flame of history with solemn and luminous words, marked by the memory of the fighting and a deep faith in human dignity. "In Provence, France stood back up," he recalled, quoting General de Lattre de Tassigny. A simple yet immense phrase, which sums up what August 17, 1944, was: an awakening of History, a shift in destiny, a victory of freedom over the night. "We are free today. We owe this freedom to our American, British, and Canadian allies, who faced Nazi fire to land on French soil and reconquer, with the support of the internal resistance, a defeated territory."

SPIRIT OF AUGUST 17

François de Canson brought back to life the names of those who, here, embodied the spirit of August 17: Joseph Spada, a young commando who fell at the fort du Salbert (Territoire de Belfort); François de Leusse, liberator of the château de Brégançon (presidential residence) and mayor of La Londe for twenty-four years; Louis Bussonne, executed for sabotaging the pont du Pansard. "On this day of commemoration, I would like everyone to remember Joseph Spada, François de Leusse... Let us also remember Louis Bussonne." "These exceptional men," trained for missions deemed impossible, liberated La Londe during the night, in a brief and decisive operation under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Bouvet. "These fighters, trained in forced marches, infiltration, close combat, precision shooting, anti-tank combat, and the neutralization of sentries, were masters in the art of war. They were the first to step on the soil of Provence, the first to deliver it from the occupier."

GUARDIANS OF PEACE

The tribute is not a retreat into the past, but a call for vigilance, responsibility, and inner loyalty: "In the world ahead, it is more essential than ever to remain solid, firm, anchored to our freedom." And the true legacy of August 17 is a concrete and daily peace, sustained by soldiers on operations, police officers, gendarmes, firefighters, rescue workers, sea rescuers, and, more broadly, by all those who serve the common good and keep fraternity alive. "Your commitment is the living legacy of those we honor today. You are the guardians of this precious asset: peace. As long as this watch does not weaken, 'then France will remain standing.'" Thus, on this August 17, a bridge was built between generations. What the resistance fighters defended, what the commandos liberated, what the survivors rebuilt, it is up to us to carry. Not as a burden, but as a light. "France was not given. It was defended. Loved. Cherished to the point of sacrifice."•