Jacques Lewis, Last Surviving French D-Day Soldier, Passes Away at 105 in Paris

Jacques Lewis, reportedly the final surviving French soldier to land with U.S. forces at Normandy on D-Day in 1944, passed away at the age of 105 in Paris. His demise was confirmed by President Emmanuel Macron's office, revealing that he had succumbed in a hospital and care center at the Invalides military complex.

Memorable Meeting with World Leaders

Less than two months prior to his death, Lewis expressed his desire to meet President Biden and President Emmanuel Macron at a ceremony held at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Despite his frail condition, he insisted on being taken in his wheelchair to the event. President Biden acknowledged his significant contribution to the American forces as they advanced from Utah Beach to liberate France from German occupation.

In 1944, Lewis served as a member of the Free French Forces, a military unit formed in exile in London by General Charles de Gaulle after the German occupation of France in 1940. His proficiency in English led to his assignment as a liaison officer attached to the U.S. Army's 70th Tank Battalion as the D-Day landings neared.

The legacy of Jacques Lewis as a courageous soldier who participated in the Normandy landings and his enduring spirit until the end has left an indelible mark on history.