WHY ALL OF FRANCE REMEMBERS THIS ELITE SOLDIER

Maxime Blasco was a soldier in the French elite mountain commando unit “Groupement de Commandos de Montagne.” He was decorated for rescuing comrades and was killed 5 days ago in the fight against terror.

From 2014 until his death, the sniper regularly took part in Operations SANGARIS and BARKHANE, which are aimed at fighting Islamist terror organizations directly in their safe havens in Africa. For exceptional bravery on his many missions he was decorated four times with the French cross for bravery.He earned his first cross in a night assault on 5 terrorists who had barricaded themselves in a house. Blasco was the first man through the door and, working calmly and professionally, took four of the Islamists prisoner on his own. Later he infiltrated an enemy weapons depot with his unit and took out numerous enemy guards, which brought him his second cross for bravery.

In 2018 the Caporal-chef was deployed as a door gunner on a Gazelle helicopter. He delivered solid reconnaissance on enemy positions and also broke up numerous enemy forces in a wooded area as well as an approaching vehicle convoy. That earned him his third decoration.

For his fourth cross for bravery, Blasco was again flying as a door gunner when he was drawn into a firefight with 30 insurgents who had laid an ambush. The helicopter took heavy hits and had to make an emergency landing. A fire broke out and two crew members were trapped. Despite his own serious injuries, several fractured vertebrae and the blaze, Blasco pulled his comrades out of the helicopter cabin, dragged them 50 meters into an open area and put them on the improvised seats on the outside of a Tiger attack helicopter. He was under enemy fire the whole time and had to put down covering fire for himself and his comrades alone, but because of what he did the crew was evacuated and survived.On 24 September 2021, Blasco took part in a reconnaissance mission in Mali to capture a suspected terrorist group. As they moved in through dense vegetation, a sniper only a few meters away suddenly opened fire and hit the French commando in the head. His comrades returned fire and took out every enemy, but they could no longer save Blasco.

Maxime Blasco was killed at the age of 34 and leaves behind a wife and a son. At his military funeral, hundreds of people lined the route and paid their respects to the soldier.

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