Geneviève de Galard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geneviève de Galard-Terraube
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| Nickname(s) | The Angel of Dien Bien Phu |
| Born | 13 April 1925 Paris, France |
| Died | 30 May 2024 (aged 99) |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Service/ |
Air Force |
| Battles/wars | Indochina War |
| Awards | Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures Ordre national du Mérite Florence Nightingale Medal Medal of Freedom Grand-croix de la Légion d'honneur |
Geneviève de Galard (born April 13, 1925 – died May 30, 2024) was a brave French nurse. She became famous during the Indochina War and was called l'ange de Dien Bien Phu ("the Angel of Dien Bien Phu"). People in Hanoi gave her this nickname. However, at the military camp, everyone simply knew her as Geneviève.
Contents
Geneviève's Early Life
Geneviève de Galard grew up in the southwest part of France. Her family was part of the noble De Galard family. When World War II started, her family had to move from Paris to Toulouse.
Geneviève studied hard and passed her exams to become a nurse. Later, she joined the French Air Force as a flight nurse. She asked to be sent to French Indochina, where a war was happening. She arrived there in May 1953.
As a flight nurse, she was based in Hanoi. Her job was to fly on planes that carried injured soldiers. These flights were called casualty evacuation flights. From January 1954, she helped evacuate soldiers wounded in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. At first, most patients had diseases. But after mid-March, many were injured in battle. Sometimes, her Red Cross planes had to land while the enemy was firing artillery.
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Geneviève de Galard became stuck at Dien Bien Phu on March 28, 1954. The C-47 plane she was on landed in thick fog. The plane's oil tank was damaged, so it could not take off again. Mechanics could not fix it on the spot. The next day, enemy artillery destroyed the plane and damaged the runway. This meant no more planes could land or take off.
Geneviève volunteered to work at the field hospital there. She was the only female nurse at Dien Bien Phu. Because of her special role, she was given a small room. It had a cot and a chair, and was lined with parachute silk. Her mother was relieved, knowing Geneviève was no longer flying. At the hospital, she worked under Dr. Paul Grauwin. The male medical staff were surprised to have a woman there. But Geneviève worked very hard and helped with even the toughest tasks. Soon, they respected her and made things easier for her. They even found her a makeshift uniform. It included camouflage overalls, trousers, basketball shoes, and a T-shirt. Geneviève did her best in very dirty conditions. She comforted dying soldiers and tried to keep everyone's spirits up. Many soldiers later praised her efforts. She was eventually put in charge of a room with forty beds for the most seriously wounded.
Receiving Awards
On April 29, 1954, Geneviève de Galard received two important awards. She was given the Légion d´honneur (as a knight) and the Croix de Guerre TOE. The commander of Dien Bien Phu, General de Castries, presented them to her. The next day, she was made an honorary Légionnaire de 1ère classe. This happened during a special celebration for the French Foreign Legion. She shared this honor with Lieutenant Colonel Marcel Bigeard. After the ceremony, she promised her Foreign Legion sponsor a bottle of champagne if they ever met again. In 1963, she kept her promise. She saw him in Paris, stopped her car, and gave him the champagne.
French troops at Dien Bien Phu finally surrendered on May 7. However, the enemy allowed Geneviève and the medical staff to keep caring for the wounded. She continued to change bandages, even though supplies were low. Geneviève refused to cooperate with the enemy in other ways. When some enemy soldiers tried to take medical supplies for themselves, she hid some under her stretcher bed.
Her Release and Trip to America
On May 24, Geneviève de Galard was flown to Hanoi, which was still controlled by the French. She was one of the first medical staff to leave. She quickly became very famous in the news. Her picture was on the cover of Paris Match magazine that week.
Even before her release, a U.S. Congresswoman named Frances P. Bolton asked the U.S. Secretary of State to invite Geneviève to the United States. When Geneviève arrived in New York City in July, the mayor, Robert Wagner, and a huge crowd met her. Congresswoman Bolton called her a "symbol of heroic femininity." About 250,000 people watched a Ticker Tape parade down Broadway in her honor. After that, she had a reception at city hall.
She then flew to Washington, D.C. on a U.S. Air Force plane. She was recognized by the House of Representatives. On July 29, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave her the Medal of Freedom. This happened in the White House Rose Garden. President Eisenhower called her the "woman of the year." She then went on a tour to six states. She met important people and appeared before large crowds in cities like Cleveland, Chicago, New Orleans, and San Francisco. The French ambassador to the U.S. said her visit was a "huge success."
Later Life and Death
Geneviève de Galard lived in Paris with her husband, Colonel Jean de Heaulme de Boutsocq.
She passed away on May 30, 2024, at the age of 99.
See Also
In Spanish: Geneviève de Galard para niños
