Générac and Châteaubriant Hold August Memorial Ceremonies

On August 2, the town of Générac in southern France marked the anniversary of a 2019 forest fire by honoring water‑bombing pilot Franck Chesneau, who died while fighting the blaze. The ceremony, attended by Mayor Frédéric Touzellier, prefect officials, and Chesneau’s widow Eva, recalled his 5,000 flight hours and his earlier service as a Mirage 2000 pilot. The tribute came after a tragic summer in which four firefighters also lost their lives.

Two days later, on August 4, Châteaubriant commemorated the 82nd anniversary of its liberation in 1944. Mayor Alain Hunault, sub‑prefect Marc Makhlouf, veterans and local officials gathered at Place des Alliés for a military ceremony, laid wreaths, and presented a flag donated by the family of Marcel Francq, the town’s last surviving liberation veteran who died in December 2025. The event highlighted the continued remembrance of World‑War‑II sacrifices in the community.