At 102 years old, René Di Fraja, a former World War II combatant, received the Legion of Honor on Thursday, October 16, from Charles-Ange Ginésy, president of the Alpes-Maritimes Department. A ceremony was held in the presence of Éric Ciotti, Michel Georges Choux, his family, and around thirty guests gathered to honor an exemplary life.
The Palais des Rois Sardes in Nice was filled with emotion this Thursday, October 16, during the awarding of the Legion of Honor to René Di Fraja, 102 years old. Surrounded by his loved ones, this former World War II combatant received from Charles-Ange Ginésy, the president of the Alpes-Maritimes department, the highest French distinction, a symbol of a century of courage, commitment, and loyalty to France.
“You have served France with honor. You have built your life with strength. You have loved your family with tenderness. You embody, at every stage, the dignity of a just and true man,” declared Charles-Ange Ginésy, before adding: “It is a great honor for me to present this Republic’s distinction to a great gentleman.”
A life of bravery and simplicity
Born in 1923 in Bône, Algeria, René Di Fraja enlisted at just twenty years old as a private in the 69th Mountain Artillery Regiment, in the Moroccan army based in Barcelonnette. In July 1944, on the road to San Gimignano, he displayed exceptional calm by crossing artillery fire, an act of bravery rewarded with the War Cross with bronze star.
After the war, he joined the SNCF in Nice, where he had a career marked by rigor and a sense of duty. A sportsman at heart, junior water polo champion, passionate cyclist, and avid swimmer, he has always maintained an exemplary lifestyle, without tobacco or alcohol. At 102 years old, he continues his daily gymnastics and pedals daily on his exercise bike.
“You have served France, you embody its finest values: those of honor, those of courage,” praised Éric Ciotti, president of the department’s finance committee.
The deputy also mentioned René Di Fraja’s Algerian roots: “Through you, I want to acknowledge all those who have given their best to this land of Algeria in France. Before lamenting the country’s evolution since its independence in 1962. “And which today is reflected by a country that has not progressed since it distanced itself from France, to say the least.”
An emotionally charged ceremony
In front of about forty guests, including his children, grandchildren, and great-grandson, René Di Fraja received unanimous homage. General Michel Georges Choux, president of the Legion of Honor members of the Alpes-Maritimes, reminded of the role of this distinction. “We want to demonstrate that there are values underpinning this decoration, inscribed within the Republic in the Nation’s framework.”
Through this solemn moment, the Republic honored a man whose life illustrates the courage and tranquility of those who have served France with humility and honor.
