Jean Sassi
Encyclopedia
Jean Sassi was a French Army
colonel and intelligence service officer, former "Jedburgh
" (BCRA
) of France
and Far East
. Commando chief of the SDECE's 11th Shock Parachutist Regiment (11e Régiment Parachutiste de Choc). Maquis chief in French Indochina
through the GCMA
(1953–1955).
During the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
in April 1954 Jean Sassi led Mèo
partisans (GCMA) in Operation Condor
.
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
colonel and intelligence service officer, former "Jedburgh
Operation Jedburgh
Operation Jedburgh was a clandestine operation during World War II, in which personnel of the British Special Operations Executive, the U.S...
" (BCRA
Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action
The Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action , commonly referred as the BCRA was the World War II-era forerunner of the SDECE, the French intelligence service...
) of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Commando chief of the SDECE's 11th Shock Parachutist Regiment (11e Régiment Parachutiste de Choc). Maquis chief in French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
through the GCMA
Groupement de Commandos Mixtes Aéroportés
The Groupement de Commandos Mixtes Aéroportés commonly referred as just GCMA, was the "Action Service" of the SDECE French counter-intelligence service active during the Cold War...
(1953–1955).
During the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
in April 1954 Jean Sassi led Mèo
Meo
Mayo or Meo or Mewati is a prominent Muslim Rajput tribe from North-Western India. A considerable number of Meos migrated to Pakistan after independence in 1947 and now they are estimated to be over 12 million. In Pakistan, Meos have lost their distinct group identity and cultural traditions and...
partisans (GCMA) in Operation Condor
Operation Condor (1954)
Operation Condor a.k.a. Operation D was the name of the French intelligence agency SDECE's special service GCMA secret operation against the Viet Minh supply column...
.
Honours and awards
- Commander of the Legion of Honour
- Croix de Guerre 1939-1945
- Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieuresCroix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations ExterieuresThe Croix de guerre des théâtres d’opérations extérieures is a French medal rewarded for military service in foreign countries. It is granted to individuals who have received citations for their actions while engaged in military service overseas.-History:...
- Croix de la Valeur MilitaireCroix de la Valeur MilitaireThe Croix de la Valeur Militaire is a military decoration of France that recognizes individual holding a mention in Dispatches earned in theaters of operations which are not subject to the award of the Croix de guerre....
- Croix du combattant volontaire 1939–1945Croix du combattant volontaire 1939–1945The Croix du combattant volontaire 1939–1945 is a French decoration that recognizes those who have volunteered to serve in a combat unit during World War II. It is the World War II equivalent of the Croix du Combattant Volontaire 1914–1918.-History:This decoration is equivalent to that awarded to...
- Medal of the Order of a Million Elephants and White Parasol
Video archive
- Jean Sassi and his Hmong troops in Laos, Official video published by the French Ministry of Defense