“May children understand the value of peace!”
During the commemoration of the 107th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice on November 11, Philippe Leonelli, the mayor, recalled...
To remember, so that no name engraved on our monument fades into oblivion. On November 11, France stopped. It gathered in reflection and remembered.
“Together we bear the weight and the light of an immense memory: that of millions of men who left their homes, their villages, their families, to defend the freedom and the future of the Nation. One hundred and seven years separate us from that November morning in 1918 when the weapons fell silent,” the mayor declared. But time erases nothing.
Their voices still live in our monuments, in our families, in our values, and in those letters that we preserve like shards of humanity in the midst of chaos.
THE STRENGTH TO HOLD ON “To open this ceremony, let us listen to one of these men, writing from the trench. ‘You cannot imagine, my dear, what we are going through here. In this tunnel, we are thousands, packed in the freezing damp, as water trickles down the walls.
Every night we go to fetch supplies near Verdun, under shells, and very often we only have a mouthful of bread in twenty-four hours. And yet, when a letter, a package, a word arrives—then our eyes light up like those of big children. That is where we find the strength to hold on,’” the elected official continued (...)
And then came this November 11, 1918. At 11 o'clock, the bells rang in the villages of France. The cannons fell silent. A generation, exhausted and bruised but standing, understood then that the unthinkable was stopping.
CALL FOR VIGILANCE Philippe Leonelli continued: “Let us now listen to another testimony, that of a young soldier learning of the end of the war. ‘Telling you of our joy is impossible. The cannon has fallen silent, the bells are ringing, the sun is shining, and it is the end of the war.
My first thought goes to those I love... to you, Mom, and to our country which has become French again.’”
When we hear these words, we understand that November 11 is not a date set in stone. It is a breath of air. It is a heritage. It is a reminder of what France can achieve when it stands tall, dignified, united. It is also a call for vigilance. For peace is never guaranteed. It must be protected, cultivated, and transmitted.
Our duty, here in Cavalaire and everywhere in France, is twofold: To pass on, so that our children understand the value of peace, of freedom, of the République. I turn to you, young people present today. What you are honoring is not the past: it is your future.
These men gave their youth so that you could have yours. And the finest way to respect them is to be citizens who are supportive, fraternal, free, and responsible.
On this November 11, 2025, we pay tribute to the Poilus, to the wounded, to those who died for France, to the bereaved families, and to all those who bore the weight of the national destiny. May their example inspire us. May their courage guide us. May their sacrifice continue to bring us together,” concluded the mayor of Cavalaire.
Philippe Leonelli a repris : « Écoutons maintenant un autre témoignage, celui d’un jeune soldat apprenant la fin de la guerre. « Te dire notre joie est impossible. Le canon s’est tu, les cloches sonnent, le soleil brille, et c’est la fin de la guerre. Ma première pensée va pour ceux que j’aime... pour toi, Maman, et pour notre pays redevenu français ». Quand nous entendons ces mots, nous comprenons que le 11 novembre n’est pas une date figée dans le marbre. C’est un souffle. C’est un héritage. C’est le rappel de ce que la France peut accomplir quand elle se tient debout, digne, unie. C’est aussi un appel à la vigilance. Car la paix n’est jamais acquise. Elle se protège, elle se cultive, elle se transmet. Notre devoir, ici à Cavalaire et partout en France, est double : Se souvenir, pour qu’aucun nom gravé sur notre monument ne s’éteigne dans l’oubli. Transmettre, pour que nos enfants comprennent la valeur de la paix, de la liberté, de la République. Je me tourne vers vous, jeunes présents aujourd’hui. Ce que vous honorez n’est pas le passé : c’est votre avenir. Ces hommes ont donné leur jeunesse pour que vous ayez la vôtre. Et la plus belle manière de les respecter, c’est d’être des citoyens, solidaires, fraternels, libres et responsables. En ce 11 novembre 2025, nous rendons hommage aux Poilus, aux blessés, aux morts pour la France, aux familles endeuillées, et à tous ceux qui ont porté le poids du destin national. Que leur exemple nous inspire. Que leur courage nous guide. Que leur sacrifice continue de nous rassembler », a conclu le maire de Cavalaire. •
Bernard JOBERT, maire de la Croix Valmer, Olivier CORNA, premier adjoint au maire de Cavalaire, Philippe VANDEVELDE, maître de cérémonie, adjoint aux associations patriotiques, Les élus, Les représentations des associations patriotiques, Les porte-drapeaux, Les enfants de l’école élémentaire la Roseraie, accompagnés de leur directeur Philippe DALMASSO, Les enfants de l’école Georges Selliez à la Croix Valmer, accompagnés de leur directrice Anne PODEVIN, Les enfants de la classe Défense, accompagnés de leur professeur Mme VIGUIER.
Photos Ville de Cavalaire.