A few hours before the national homage to the resistant Daniel Cordier, General Christian Baptiste, national delegate of the Order of the Companions of the Liberation, told Thursday on Europe 1 a moving scene: the moment when he learned of the death of Daniel Cordier to Hubert Germain, the last Companion of the Liberation still alive. 

INTERVIEW

Former resistance member, former secretary of Jean Moulin, Daniel Cordier died on Friday at the age of 100.

A national tribute, chaired by Emmanuel Macron at the Invalides, will be paid to this Companion of the Liberation.

General Christian Baptiste, national delegate of the Order of the Companions of the Liberation, who knew him personally, told Europe 1 on Thursday how he learned of the death of Daniel Cordier and how he announced it to the last Companion of the Liberation still alive: Hubert Germain, also 100 years old. 

Forward the information to Emmanuel Macron

General Christian Baptiste first learned of the news from Daniel Cordier's family.

He was then responsible for transmitting it to the highest levels of the state.

"The first thing I did was to send the information back to the President of the Republic," he says.

"And then, I immediately went to see Hubert Germain," he added. 

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"When I entered his room, he knew there was something because I usually come to see him once or twice a week and I make an appointment so as not to disturb him. looked and held out his two hands to me. I said to him: 'Yes, Mr. Germain. Daniel has left us,' recalls the general. 

"He closed his eyes for a long time"

Christian Baptiste then recounts a "very moving moment" for Hubert Germain.

"He shared his emotion with me. He closed his eyes for a long time. And when he reopened them, still holding my hands, he said: 'General, I will continue to accompany you until the bout '", reported Christian Baptiste.  

This striking scene did not surprise the general, however.

"The Companions have always told me: 'We are Companions to the end and we will do our duty to the end," "he said. 

According to General Christian Baptiste, in 1940, 1,038 resistance fighters were made Companions of the Liberation, out of 40 million French people at the time.

They all distinguished themselves in the Resistance.

Daniel Cordier was, for example, one of the very first French, to join the Free French Forces in London, at the age of 19.