The history of the Landing Committee begins on May 22, 1945, when Raymond Triboulet founded the association and took over as president of this committee, which, from then on, organized the D-Day commemorations in Normandy.
The History of the Landing Committee
Indeed, even after the war, it was clear to Raymond Triboulet that the need to commemorate what had happened in Normandy would be felt in the future. D-Day was the largest military operation of the Second World War. Raymond Triboulet was convinced that in the coming years, June 6 would become the universally recognized date of commemoration. He was also aware of the need to create infrastructure such as museums, belvederes, and panoramic views to accommodate the millions of tourists who would undoubtedly come to Normandy in the decades to come. These tourists would first and foremost be veterans and their families who came on pilgrimages. Over the years, a wider public would show great interest in these historical events.
Raymond Triboulet proposed to the authorities that the commemorations be given a national dimension. To this end, the Landing Committee brought together mayors and elected officials from the landing coasts of Calvados and the English Channel. Ambassadors from the Allied nations and French military and dignitaries became Honorary Members of the Committee.
Elected to the National Assembly in 1946, Raymond Triboulet proposed a law requiring June 6 commemorations to have a national character. The National Assembly unanimously adopted the bill and passed it on May 21, 1947.
Our President
Jean Quétier
In September 2021, Jean Quétier took over as president of the Landing Committee, succeeding Jean-Marc Lefranc. Born in 1951 in Saint Joseph, in the Manche department, Jean Quétier devoted his studies to philosophy.
Strongly motivated by the desire to transmit and share, he worked as a teacher for 21 years in Montebourg with a public with motor or sensory disabilities and took over the management of the Normandy Association for Mutual Aid to the Physically Handicapped (ANEHP) between 2004 and 2011. Involved in the political life of the commune of Sainte-Mère-Église since 1995, Jean Quétier has held numerous mandates to promote local development. He underlines the importance of the Landing Committee as a key player in the Memorial, stating:
“The Landing Committee remains a major player in the Memorial.”
His vision for the committee is based on several strategic axes:
- The transmission of the values of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
- The balance of memories around all the allied nations, but also Germany.
- The pooling of memorial actions
- The renovation of the Pegasus Memorial Museum
These initiatives are part of a new phase of development. Indeed, the period from 1944 to 1984 was marked by the "period of stones," dedicated to the construction of places of remembrance, such as the Signal Monuments and various museums, notably those of Arromanches and Sainte-Mère-Église. From 1984 to 2024, we experienced the "period of witnesses," characterized by the return of witnesses to the beaches and landing sites.
Today, we are entering a new 40-year period of construction. It was inaugurated by the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. This commemoration has given rise to numerous initiatives, highlighting young people: the Children's Ceremony, the Freedom Prize, and the artistic presentations of the international ceremony are just a few examples. They augur well for what the future of the Second World War memorial, and more specifically the Normandy landings, may hold.
