On 17 January 2014, Mr. Claude Belot, Senator of Charente-Maritime, President of the Federation of Municipalities of Haute-Saintonge and Mayor of Jonzac, invited the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation to an event paying tribute to the 70th anniversary of the disappearance of Major Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which was organised by various departments of the City of Jonzac, together with the participation of Dr Eric Moreau, patron of the Foundation.

A special projection of documentaries allowed 250 students from schools in Jonzac to discover the life and work of the famous adventurer and man of letters, while immersing themselves in the history of the pioneers of Aéropostale (a French aviation company founded in 1918), with exceptional accounts from François d’Agay, nephew and godson of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Lieutenant Colonel Hervé de Saint-Exupéry,Officer of the French Air Force delegated to Youth and Equal Opportunity, and Sophie Denis, pilot of the Raid Latécoère, at the Familia theatre in Jonzac. In parallel, an exhibition entitled “Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Wind, Sand and Stars” was presented at the Haute-Saintonge Multimedia Library.

This unique day then continue at the Jonzac-Neulles aerodrome where a room was named after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, near the runway on which Saint-Ex had landed with his friends from the II/33 Reconnaissance Group in June 1940, in the presence of representatives of the Foundation and numerous personalities from the region. A dinner and debate dedicated to “Saint-Exupéry News” hosted by Mr. Franck Chanedieras, philosophy teacher at Jonzac Secondary School, ended this unique event at Jonzac Casino, together with the participation of pilots, teachers, secondary school students, local councillors and several company leaders.

Photos: © FASEJ
01- Speech by François d’Agay.
02- Lieutenant Colonel Hervé de Saint-Exupéry and François d’Agay with children from Jonzac.
03-François d’Agay thanks Senator Claude Belot.

Press Review of this event :
Sud Ouest Articles – 15, 18 et 20 january 2014
Haute-Saintonge Article – 24 january 2014

Watch the video produced by Haute-Saintonge Community of municipal authorities