Arsène Tchakarian found his companions of the Manouchian group

Resistant Arsène Tchakarian is deceased at the 101 years age on August 4th in Vitry on the Seine (94). He was the last Manouchian group member, whose 23 men had perished under the balls of the Nazis on February 21st, 1944 on the Mount–Valérien.

Arsène Tchakarian, the last surviving of famous “the Manouchian group” had resisted to the occupant Nazi.

Born in Turkey in 1916 in full Armenian genocide, he lives initially in Bulgaria with his family which fled the country. Arrived at Paris in 1930, he becomes just tailor then in 1942 the group of resistant Manouchian (founded during the Occupation by the journalist Missak Manouchian) in which he is distinguished during the war; the Germans then target the group in famous “the red Poster”. After the arrest of Manouchian, it joined the maquis and takes part in the release of Montargis.  Member of PCF, it becomes resistant first hour and takes part in many combat. In addition, it will not cease fighting to make acknowledge the genocide and the rights of the Armenian people.

After the war, it decides to settle in a house in Vitry on the Seine in the Parisian suburbs where it transfers its archives; it there passes all its life and dies on August 4th.
To the announcement of its death, many personalities reacted, èà to start with the president of the Republic Emmanuel Macron which declared: “He was a hero of resistance and an tireless witness whose voice until the end resounded with force”, underlining its memory work. Among those which cry it, one counts the village of Portel (Pas–de–Calais) where he was used spending his vacancies since 1955; the family of his wife had 4 houses there. In addition, several colleges bear its name among which that of Portel whose mayor, Olivier Barbarin, gave to him the medal of honor of the city in 2014
Funerals proceeded on August 14th with the Parisian cemetery of Ivry on the Seine in the presence of 42 flag–holders, veterans, soldiers, Monsieur Charlet, Director–assistant of the National organization of the veterans and war victims of which the ARAC like Monsieur Aurélien Sebton, advisor (army–nation, memory and world combatant) Madam the Secretary of State near the Minister for the armies as well as the sub–prefect‘s wife of the Val de Marne, Mrs. Fabienne Balussou and Taline Durman, girl of the president of association Memory of the Armenians of France for the Posterity.

After the procession of the flag–holders to the sound of drums, ringing with deaths and speeches of the personalities between half–compartments by musical beaches of which the version of the “Song of the Partisans” by Johnny Hallyday, “the Red Poster “of Léo Ferré and “Take me along “of Charles Aznavour, a religious ceremony orthodoxe and catholic followed then the ground setting. The family and the friends then could bless the coffin and throw a handful of ground. Arsène Tchakarian does not rest in the square of the deportees but separately with the Parisian cemetery of Ivry on the Seine
At the time of the ceremony, a homage was paid to this man of exception which fought at the sides of France against the Nazis but also with the historian who did not cease carrying the duty to remember near the young people by traversing the colleges; it always fought to make recognize the genocide of the Armenian population by the Turks.

Last survivor of the group Manouchian (compound of immigrants Armenian, Italian, Jewish, Polish…) whose 22 members were carried out by the Nazis in 1944 with the Valérien Mount and were buried in the square of the deportees of the cemetery of Ivry, it was named Knight (2005), Officer (2012) then Commander of the Legion of Honor (2017). On June 18th (date symbolic system), it was named Knight in the order of the Academic Palms. He was also a faithful member of PCF.

This ceremony full with emotion should be followed in September by a national homage with the Hotel of the Invalids.

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