Years go by, but the memory remains. As always for 70 years, a significant funeral procession took part in the commemorative ceremonies of June 9, 1944, on this June 9, 2014.
Despite sweltering heat causing some minor discomfort at the significant site of Cueille, 2,500 people of all generations participated in the commemorative march.
This year, the presence of numerous personalities around the President of the Republic was noted, including the new mayor of Oradour-sur-Glane, Mr. Philippe Lacroix, Mr. Milor, president of the association of families of victims of Oradour-sur-Glane, as well as the German consul in Bordeaux.
After an initial laying of wreaths by various personalities, including President François Hollande, in front of the Louisa Paulin memorial, the funeral procession made its way across the Martyrs’ Bridge towards the main site of Cueille.
The order has remained unchanged for seventy years. First the flag bearers, then the schoolchildren of the town, followed by the families of the martyrs, the authorities, and the public.
The floral arrangements hanging from the balconies, precisely where 99 men were hanged on June 9, 1944, invite reflection and silence.
Along the way, François Hollande shakes hands, kisses cheeks extended towards him, and sometimes responds to questions from the journalists, who are very numerous this year.
Upon arrival at the main site of Cueille, the ceremony regains its seriousness despite the difficulties encountered by many families and attendees in finding a small space in the narrow area reserved for the event.
Four young people from Corrèze take turns reading the names of those who were deported or tortured on June 9, 1944. Then, the choir of a group of French soldiers sings the “Chant des Marais” (Song of the Marshes).
Next, representatives of veterans’ associations, the martyrs’ committee, the mayor of Tulle, the mayor of the German partner city Schorndorf, various authorities, and finally the President of the Republic lay wreaths.
After the tolling of the bell, the French army choir sings the Marseillaise in the presence of a delegation from the Republican Guard, participating for the first time in the ceremonies. Then, the Tulle children’s brass band and the choir from the Edmond-Perrier high school sing the “Chant des Partisans” (Song of the Partisans).
After paying a final tribute to the two mortuary chambers containing the martyrs’ coffins, François Hollande greets the families present before engaging in a final walkabout.
Tulle once again paid homage to its martyrs, as it will also do this year in 2015, ensuring that forgetting does not erase the traces of the tragedy.
