Marcel Bigeard

Marcel Bigeard
Bigeard (aged 80) in his home in 1996 standing in front of a photo of him some 40 years earlier
Nickname(s)	Bruno
Born	14 February 1916 (1916-02-14) Toul, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Died	18 June 2010 (2010-06-19) (aged 94) Toul, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Marine Infantry French Marine Airborne Area Forces
Years of service	1936–38 1939–76
Rank	Général de corps d'armée
Unit	23rd Fortress Infantry Regiment 23e  RIF 79th Fortress Infantry Regiment 79e RIF 23rd Colonial Infantry Regiment 23e RIC 10th Parachute Division
Commands held	3rd Thai Battalion Indochinese Marching Battalion 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion 6e BPC (1952-1954) Airborne Groupment 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment 3e RPC (1955-1958) 6th Colonial Infantry Outremer Regiment 6e RIAOM 20th Parachute Brigade 20e BP 25th Parachute Brigade 25e BP Area Forces of the Indian Ocean 4e RM
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France First Indochina War Operation Castor Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War Battle of Algiers Battle of Agounennda Operation Jumelles
Awards	Grand Cross of the Légion d’honneur Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 Croix de guerre des TOE Cross for Military Valour Resistance Medal Escapees' Medal Colonial Medal 1939–1945 Commemorative war medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal Insignia for the Military Wounded Order of the Dragon of Annam Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol (Laos) Distinguished Service Order (UK) Legion of Merit (US) Order of Merit (Senegal) Order of Merit (Togo) Order of Merit (Comores) Order of Merit (Mauritania) Order of Merit (Centrafrique) Order of Merit (Thailand)
Other work	Bank clerk, Author, Deputy

World War II

First Indochina War

Algerian War

Marcel "Bruno" Bigeard (14 February 1916 – 18 June 2010) was a French military officer who fought in World War II, Indochina and Algeria. He was one of the commanders in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and is thought by many to have been a dominating influence on French 'unconventional' warfare thinking from that time onwards. He was one of the most decorated soldiers in France, and is particularly noteworthy because of his ascendance from a regular soldier in 1936 to ultimately finishing his career in 1976 as a Lieutenant General (Général de corps d'armée). A former resistant, he is associated mainly with the war of Indochina and Algeria.

Marcel Bigeard was born in Toul,Meurthe-et-Moselle on 14 February 1916, the son of Charles Bigeard (1880–1948), a railway worker, and Sophie Bigeard (1880–1964), a domineering housewife. Bigeard's working class family were staunchly patriotic family who believed France was the greatest nation in the world, and Bigeard often stated his belief that France was worth fighting for stemmed from his upbringing. He also had an older sister, Charlotte Bigeard, fours years his senior. Lorraine instilled a strong patriotism in him and his mother a will to win; those two would remain his strongest driving forces. At fourteen, Bigeard quit school to help his parents financially by taking a position in the local Société Générale bank, where he did well.

Following a 6-year career in Société générale, Marcel Bigeard conducted his military service in France at Haguenau at the corps of the 23rd Fortress Infantry Regiment (French: 23^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse)., Incorporated in the regiment as a soldat de deuxième classe in September 1936, caporal-chef, he was relieved of duty and military obligations with the rank of reserve sergent in September 1938.