Michelin North America Inc. has partnered with the Best Defense Foundation and Delta Air Lines to arrange for 60 World War II veterans from the Battle of Normandy to return to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The veterans will be accompanied by Michelin, Delta Air Lines and Best Defense Foundation volunteers, and will board a special charter flight traveling from Atlanta to Deauville, Normandy, on June 2, 2024. They will be greeted upon arrival by official representatives of the French public authorities and will take part in the first commemoration of the event. Until their return to the United States on June 12, they will participate in a series of parades, school visits, ceremonies and the official commemoration on June 6, attended by Florent Menegaux, CEO of the Michelin Group, and many Heads of State and government members.
Reprinting by Michelin Éditions of the legendary Michelin Guide 1939 that helped American soldiers to prepare for the landings
For the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Michelin Éditions has reprinted an exact reproduction of the Michelin Guide 1939, that helped American soldiers prepare the offensive and find their bearings during the Normandy Landings. In total, 1,000 copies of the historic Guide will be gifted to the Mission Libération, with copies being distributed to the veterans when they arrive in Normandy on June 3.
Giant maps, printed on huge PVC tiles, have also been prepared. They represent historic Michelin maps, printed in 1947:
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The Battle of Normandy, that will be publicly displayed at the Haras de Saint-Lô in 5.50 x 6.50 m format
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The Battle of Alsace, that will be on display in Strasbourg in 5 x 10 m format
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The Battle of Provence, that will be presented in Toulon in 10 x 5 m format
Long-standing involvement in D-Day ceremonies
The Michelin Group has supported the D-Day commemorations for many years.
In 1947, for the 3rd D-Day anniversary, Michelin published a series of four maps in two languages (French and English): Battle of Normandy (n° 102), Battle of Provence (n° 103), Battle of Alsace (n° 104) and Liberty Road (n° 105). These maps help to determine a geographical position, but also to retrace the battles and the course of history.
Michelin’s involvement with the Best Defense Foundation and Delta Air Lines began in 2021, with a partnership to accompany veterans to France for the 78th anniversary of D-Day in 2022. Over three years of partnership, some 135 American veterans have been escorted to Normandy.
Michelin and its partners share a firm commitment and common values to honor the World War II heroes; the leitmotif of the initiative being, “taking care of those who took care of us.”
Michelin and the landings: a story that became part of History.
In the spring of 1944, while the troops planning the Normandy Landings were building up in England, the Allied General Staff feared that their advance would be hampered in French cities, where road signs had been destroyed, removed or intentionally made to point the wrong way. For soldiers, the Michelin Guide, with its 500 city maps, was an invaluable and indispensable tool. The Allied General Staff therefore contacted Michelin and the War Department and had a special copy of the most recently published Guide (the 1939 copy) reprinted in Washington, stamped, “For official use only”, and sent to every D-Day commander.
At a later stage, in a newly-liberated Paris, the Allied General Staff wanted to make it easier for troops to advance using maps of northeastern France and Belgium. On August 29, 1944 – the day the request was issued – Michelin supplied 190,000 maps, while another order of 194,000 maps was honored in just eight days.
On June 30, 1945, for his first factory tour in liberated France, General de Gaulle, accompanied by the Sultan of Morocco Mohammed V, traveled to the Michelin plant in Clermont-Ferrand, where he was greeted by the Manager, Robert Puiseux. In his speech, General de Gaulle publicly acknowledged Michelin,
“I am aware of what happened here during the tragic events we have just endured (…) this behavior is exemplary and believe me when I tell you that it will go down in history (…).”
On November 7, 1945, the Allied Forces also commended Michelin’s efforts. A pennant ceremony, awarding Michelin the letter ‘A’ for Achievement in Production for American Forces, was held in Place des Carmes, Michelin’s headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand. Robert Puiseux welcomed the US Army representative, who declared, “I must express our esteem and gratitude to the staff, supervisors and management team (…) who were of tremendous support to the Allied Forces and helped with our advance.” In his response address, Robert Puiseux concluded, “The war is well and truly over. Now it’s down to us to win peace.”
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