Hommage à Henri François Paquin et Raymon Berth Plaque

This is a very important plaque. It honors the memory of two men who fell in the final battle to liberate Paris. As you stand here, on boulevard de Grenelle, it’s almost impossible to imagine the carnage that unfolded on this very spot on August 25, 1944. Before you stands the Hommage à Henri Françios Paquin et Raymond Berth Plaque. It’s a small plaque, but it tells a big story. The plaque tells us that Henri Françios Paquin, an adjudant-chef, and Raymond Berth, a first-class soldier, were both killed in the fight for Paris. They were members of General Leclerc’s protective squadron. They were in a tank when they were killed. It is said that the tank was hit by a grenade. What is so remarkable about this is that they died in the same fight, in the same place, in the same tank on what was supposed to be a day of triumph for France. The plaque is a reminder of the cost of freedom. General Leclerc is an important figure in French history. He commanded the Free French Forces in World War II, and he was instrumental in the liberation of Paris. His troops played a crucial role in the liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation. His units fought their way from Normandy to the capital, facing unrelenting German resistance. The battle for Paris lasted four days. With the liberation of Paris, General Leclerc became a national hero. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour. His legacy lives on in the name of the protective squadron that he commanded and in the plaque commemorating the sacrifices of Henri Françios Paquin and Raymond Berth.