A national tribute to the French soldier who died in Mali paid to Les Invalides – archyde

A national tribute is paid, Wednesday, September 29, to the French master corporal Maxime Blasco, killed in operation in Mali. During the ceremony, chaired by Emmanuel Macron at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, Maxime Blasco will be posthumously elevated to the rank of sergeant and made an officer of the Legion of Honor.

The ceremony live, broadcast on the Elysée’s Twitter account:

LIVE | National tribute to Sergeant Maxime Blasco. https://t.co/gBalFWQu6N

– Elysee (@ Elysee)

Deep respect. Honor to Sergeant Maxime Blasco. https://t.co/5AIOxLg1HJ

– HerveGrandjean (@ Spokesperson for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces)

Maxime Blasco was killed Friday, September 24 during a reconnaissance and harassment operation conducted by the anti-jihadist force of Operation “Barkhane” in the Gossi region, near the border between Mali and the Burkina Faso. He leaves his 8-year-old child and his partner, Alexandra, who entrusted to Parisian her wish to marry her posthumously.

“An exceptional operational career”

Several times decorated, Master Corporal Blasco received the military medal in June “For the exceptional value of its services”. “He was someone who had an exceptional operational background”, according to Colonel Pascal Ianni, spokesperson for the armies.

In 2019, he saved the lives of two of his comrades when their Gazelle helicopter crashed. Seriously injured, especially with multiple vertebral fractures, he had succeeded in extracting his companions, transporting them over fifty meters before installing them, “In a somewhat traditional way, on the skates” a Tiger helicopter to evacuate them from the combat zone, according to the staff.

His death brings to 52 the number of French soldiers killed in action in the Sahel since 2013. Thursday, another tribute will be paid to him in Varces (Isère, South-East) by his brothers in arms of the 7th^e battalion of alpine hunters.