The funeral of Cédric de Pierrepont, 33, one of two members of the special forces killed in releasing hostages in Burkina Faso, began Wednesday afternoon in the church Notre-Dame de Larmor-Plage, near Lorient, in Morbihan, noted an AFP journalist.
Airplanes and helicopters flew over the church
About 500 people, including many "green berets", gathered under the sun on the forecourt of the small church of the fifteenth century in this seaside town of 8,000 inhabitants adjoining Lorient. The bells rang at 2:15 pm and the hearse arrived a few minutes later.
Airplanes and helicopters flew over the church, the city and the coffin, covered with a French flag, entered the little church to the sound of bagpipes which sang the March of Bruce in the middle of a guard of honor , consisting of 40 "green berets". The ceremony was broadcast outside through loudspeakers.
"A must to be here"
"It's a duty for me to be here, and we're all the more concerned that there are a lot of commando schools in the area, so it touches me to see all those 'green berets' here on the forecourt. It is thanks to these people that we are at peace today, "said Marcel, 47, from Moëlan, Finistère. "Of course, we feel concerned by this death, we want to offer a testimony of sympathy to the family, we know what a mourning is for a family or a country," said Anne, in her fifties.
A national tribute was made Monday in Paris, the Invalides, Cédric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello. President Emmanuel Macron hailed the sacrifice of the two "heroes", to whom he posthumously handed the legion of honor. A "strap of life", identical to that of combat swimmers in operations, had been stretched between the two coffins, a symbol of destinies linked in action as in death.