President Daniel Gibbs prepares to lay a wreath in the garden of Hotel de la Collectivité on Monday during the ceremony.
MARIGOT--The Collectivité on Monday, June 18 commemorated the appeal of General de Gaulle delivered by radio broadcast from London on June 18, 1940, urging the French to resist the Nazi regime. He declared the war was not yet over and rallied the country in support of the Resistance.
In accordance with protocol, President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs and Préfète Anne Laubies laid wreaths in front of the monument to the fallen in the garden of Hotel de la Collectivité. Secretary of the Veterans Association, Philibert Boussat was then invited to read the speech of the General and lay a wreath in tribute.
Préfète Laubies read the message from the Secretary of State to the Minister of the Armed Forces. The President of the National Order of Merit for St. Martin and St. Barths Rose Nicolas was also invited to lay a wreath.
The ceremony was also the occasion to decorate three border police officers with the National Police Medal of Honour by the Préfète: Brigadiers Sylvain Lebon, Gary Auroque and Peacekeeper Alain Boucaud.
