Jacques Morin (1924-1995) was a French officer and company commander of the Parachute Company of the

3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 3e Régiment étranger d'infanterie, 3e REI) is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is stationed in French Guiana. Its mission includes the protection of the C ...

.
Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, History of the 2^e REP, The origins...

Military career

In 1941, Jacques obtained the second part of his baccalaureate, at the Society of Jesus, Jesuits (french: Les Jésuites) of Saint-Genevieve. At his sortie, he subscribed for 8 years at the ESM of Saint-Cyr (french: Saint-Cyr), which he joined at Aix-en-Provence where he was garrisoned in the Free Zone, on 15 October 1942. On 27 November the Italians and Germans encircled the school and demanded access to the arms depot. They put the student candidates on leave. A ceremony of offering birds was put into effect and it was in front of the enemy that Jacques Morin revealed his officer capability with only 2 months of school. Saint-Cyr was closed on 6 December 1942. The students were sent to the youth fields or had the option to enlist in a faculty in the capital. He was placed on armistice leave on 1 March 1943. After three attempts to join North Africa by Switzerland or Spain, he subscribed at the Oriental language school at Paris and conducted several visits to the Maquis where he became an instructor with the rank of a Caporal-chef (Senior

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

) on 1 June 1943. In March 1944, he left this Maquis group to join a clandestine group of Saint-Cyr, at another

Maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The network ...

(french: Les Maquis) group at the corps of the resistance army organization (ORA). Denounced as a traitor, he was taken by the Germans on 7 June 1944. Interrogated at Fresnes, he was deported on August 15, to the Laura commando of the Buchenwald camp. With the Allies advancement, the commando was moved to Allach near Dachau. Liberated by the Americans (U.S.), on 30 April 1945, he remained in wait at the sanitary evaluation at the camp, where he escaped with the aid of a woman of the social services unit of the

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

(french: La Marine) and a

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

(french: matelot), a former secretary of his uncle, a Submariner (french: Sous-mariniers) at Casablanca. He was brought back to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in an armored vehicle of Hitler, accompanied by and bringing back with him an

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

(french: Amiral), incoming for inspection. He was placed on convalescence leave and assigned to CHR of the COI 113. A decree of 2 July 1945 nominated him to the rank of

Sous-lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

as of 1 October 943. He accordingly spent a brief tour at the Ruchard camp where, by another decree of 11 November 1945, he was promoted to the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

as of 25 December 1944. He was cited at the orders of the armed forces with

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

, for his liaison actions at the corps of the ORA and his deportation. He rejoined the promotion « Victoire », at EMIA de Coetquidan, on 9 March 1946. Following the infantry application school and a drill series round at Pau, on 8 April 1947, he selected the

Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...

. He arrived to the DCRE at Sidi bel-Abbes on 15 April, to be assigned to the first passing company. He then assumed the provisionary command of the depot company on 21 May 1947. Designated in reinforcement in the Far East (french: Extrême-Orient), he disembarked at Saigon to serve in the II/

3^e REI on 7 December 1947. Commanding a post in the bushes near RC4, he was called upon by colonel Simon, regimental commander of the

3^e REI to assume command of a parachute company in course of being created as of 1 April 1948. During this affectation, he was wounded by bullet in the right thigh and obtained 3 citations. On 1 June 1949 his unit was dissolved and integrated the

1st Foreign Parachute Battalion The 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (french: 1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes (1er BEP)) was a parachute battalion of the Foreign Legion formed from the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment. History 1er Bataillon E ...

1^er BEP, created in Algeria and which just arrived in Indochina. Adjoint (french: assistant) to the commandant and intelligence officer, he obtained another citation. Repatriated by the end of tour, he was assigned to CAR 8 to benefit from his leave of campaign tour end. On 1 July he was promoted to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Following the CFC, he was assigned to the

3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion The 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion (french: Foreign Legion formed based on the Parachute Instruction Company (C.I.P) of the 7th combat company of the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Foreign Regiment">1st Foreign Infantry Regiment. History, Creation a ...

3^E BEP at Sétif, which he joined on 20 October 1950. Designated for a second deployment in Indochina, he disembarked at Saigon on 13 March 1951 and met with the

1^er BEP which was filling ranks after being annihilated. Cited again, he was awarded 4

Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures The ''Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs'' (War Cross for foreign operational theatres), also called the ''Croix de Guerre TOE'' for short, is a French military award denoting citations earned in combat in foreign countri ...

and the

Chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

. Repatriated by the end of tour, he disembarked at Marseille and CAR 3 filled his leave of campaign tour end on 19 June 1953. Resuming service on 1 September 1953 saw him assigned to the 18th Colonial Infantry Parachute Regiment 18^e RIPC at Pau. He was designated accordingly as an instructor at the infantry application school of Saint-Maixent, which he joined on 15 September 1954. He met with the

1st Foreign Parachute Regiment The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (french: 1er Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes, 1er REP) was an airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army which dated its origins to 1948. The regiment fought in the First Indochina War as th ...

1^er REP at Zeralda and assumed the function of superior assistant officer (designated as general staff headquarters at the époque) on 1 August 1956. He was decorated with the rosette of the Officier of the

in August 1956. The Suez operation was his first intervention on African soil (french: Terre Africaine), then under the orders of lieutenant-colonels Brothier and Jeanpierre, he participated to all the operations of the unit, including in the territories South towards Touggout and Laghouat. Promoted to

Chef de bataillon Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

(

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

) on 31 March 1958, he assumed the provisionary command of the

1^er REP following the

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

of their regimental commander, lieutenant-colonel Pierre Jeanpierre on 5 July 1958. In North Africa (AFN), he was cited at the orders of the brigade and 5 times and the orders of the armed forces. He was promoted to the rank of

Commandeur Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

of the

in September 1958. In September 1959, he commanded the 2nd battalion of the EOA at ESMIA de Coetquidan then in 1960, he was assigned to the general staff headquarters of the 10th Parachute Division 10^e DP in quality as chief of the general staff of the division. Following an indifference with general Saint-Hillier, he was assigned to metropolis, at the technical inspection of the TAP, on 1 April 1961, just before the genera's putsch. Physically marked by his diseases contracted in deportation or in Indochina, marked morally with the 1961 affairs of Algeria, he benefited from a long leave. He was then put at disposition then reintegrated. He resumed service at the military subdivision of Paris in 1966 and the 64th Military Division at Dijon in 1967. He was admitted to his rights for retirement after 25 years of service on 21 March 1968. In 1970, he was elevated to the dignity of

Grand Officier Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...

of the

. In 1983, the

honored him for the commemoration of the 120th year anniversary of Camerone, where he was the ceremonial chief. In 1997, a promotion of Saint-Cyr adopted him as their patron. Jacques Morin died on 31 May 1995.

Recognitions and Honors

of the

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

of the Légion d'Honneur * Legion Honneur Officier ribbon

Officier of the Légion d'Honneur * Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon

of the Légion d'Honneur * Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 ribbon

Croix de Guerre des Theatres d'Operations Exterieurs ribbon

(x4) * Cited at the orders of the Brigade in North Africa (AFN) and 5 times at the orders of the armed forces

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morin, Jacques 1995 deaths 1924 births French Resistance members

Military career

Recognitions and Honors

See also

References