Émile Paganon (July 19, 1916 – January 24, 2012) was a French military officer of the

chasseurs alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

and skier. He was leader of the national Olympic military patrol team in

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

which placed fifth. Paganon was born in

Thônes Thônes () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, and is the ″capital″ of local cheeses Reblochon and Chevrotin. Geography The Fier flows northwestward through the middle ...

.''Actualités de l’amicale''
(French), EMHM. He was married to Herminie with one son. The family lived in the French district Vercors, when he served as a ski reconnaissance platoon leader in the 6th Bataillon de chasseurs alpins in Gresse from 1941 to 1943 during World War II. In January 1943 their only son died.''Emile Paganon, une aventure italienne pendant la Résistance''
(French), March 5, 2008. In the following years he was

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the 3rd/7th Bataillon de chasseurs alpins in

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. ...

.''La Savoie libre: Les combats de l'hiver 1944-1945''
(French), CDIHP de la Savoie. For his merits in the battle of the

Little St Bernard Pass The Little St Bernard Pass (French: ''Col du Petit Saint-Bernard'', Italian: ''Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo'') is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between ...

he was awarded with the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

by Montgomery. He died at the age of 95 years in

Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice (; Arpitan: ''Bôrg-Sant-Mori'' or simply ''Le Bôrg''), popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. Located on the Italian border south of C ...

.Disparition d'Emile Paganon, un grand résistant savoyard
February 3, 2012.

Bibliography

* Ulysse Bozonnet: ''Section Paganon. "Dans les cimes pour la liberté". L'esprit de résistance, de fraternité et de compétition. Chroniques des années 1930-1948'', 2005.

External links

Captain Paganon
photo from 1960

References

1916 births 2012 deaths French military patrol (sport) runners Military patrol competitors at the 1948 Winter Olympics Olympic biathletes for France Sportspeople from Haute-Savoie French military personnel of World War II {{France-biathlon-bio-stub