Michel was born in Paris the youngest of four children, two brothers and a sister. His father died just before World War II.
After the German invasion, the whole family worked in the Resistance. Je...voir plusMichel was born in Paris the youngest of four children, two brothers and a sister. His father died just before World War II.
After the German invasion, the whole family worked in the Resistance. Jean, the eldest, was caught with a British agent in 1942 and deported. Pierre was shot in Paris, on Rue Bonaparte, in 1943when he attempted to deliver valuable information about the traffic of German ships and submarines. Marie Odile was then arrested and sent to Ravensbruck.
Michel, at sixteen, started to participate in the planned evasion of Allied airmen shot in Europe. He helped some fifty of them to evade before he was caught by the Gestapo.
For these activities during the war, he received many decorations, including the following:
The US Presidential Medal of Freedom, given by President Truman
The French Medal of Honor, at the highest rank of Officier
The British Empire Medal
The Belgian Medal de la Resistance
The French Medal of the Resistance
The French and Belgian Medal Militaire and Croix de Guerre
He also received citations from:
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Air Field Marshall Alied Expeditionary force
Field Marshal B. L. Montgomeryvoir moins