Trailblazing French General Valérie André Dies at 102

André, a decorated military doctor and helicopter pilot, was the first woman to achieve the rank of general in France.

Valérie André, born in 1922, was a pioneering military doctor, helicopter pilot, and the first woman to achieve the rank of general in France.
She played a critical role in the Indochina and Algerian wars, conducting hundreds of evacuation missions and saving many wounded soldiers.
André accumulated over 4,200 flight hours, completed 496 combat missions, and received seven citations with the Croix de Guerre during her career.
She became the first woman elevated to Grand Croix of the Légion d'Honneur in 2000 and had an airfield named after her in 2022.
Her groundbreaking career included advocating for gender equality in the military, leaving a lasting legacy in French defense history.