2014 will be a year rich in events for the French Air Force. Among them, the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the disappearance of Major Antoine de Saint Exupéry will assuredly be a highlight as the history of the French Air Force is inextricably linked to that of this 20th-century hero.

A hero because through his commitment as a pilot in the French Air Force, Antoine de Saint Exupéry constantly put his exceptional qualities, founded on flawless courage and determination, at the service of his country. In the darkest moments of our history, he managed to embody in the most beautiful way the values that united the community of aviators and allowed them to accomplish their greatest feats. Right from the beginning of WWII, he took part in combat with the “Savoie” 2/33 Reconnaissance Group, carrying out numerous difficult missions including one over Arras, which inspired him to write “Pilote de guerre” (Flight to Arras) and which earned him a citation in the order of the “armée aérienne” (Air Force). A commitment that he carried out until the end for France, as he disappeared in July 1944 over the Mediterranean Sea at the controls of his P-38 Lightning.

A hero because beyond being a legendary pilot, Saint Exupéry was an exceptional author who bequeathed to us a legacy of an incomparable richness by the significance of his writings and the vision that they inspire. By travelling across our planet, Antoine de Saint Exupéry succeeded in transmitting to us, through his photographs, drawings and literary works, a deeply humanist universal message and in revealing to us the vulnerability of our world. A true forerunner of sustainable development, he affirmed, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

It is by drawing on this rich heritage that he left us that the French Air Force and the Saint Exupéry Foundation are able to carry out numerous projects in favour of youth. By undertaking concrete activities, in particular in the domain of aviation, and inspired by the values of the author of “The Little Prince”, numerous young people in our country are thus finding a means to develop confidence in themselves and in the future. Major Antoine de Saint Exupéry still represents to this day a model for youth. 70 years after his disappearance, he remains well and truly present among us all.

Photo: © SIRPA AIR
Nicolas Delsalle-Mun, Secretary General of the Foundation, pilot Dorine Bourneton, patron of the Foundation, and General Denis Mercier.