A visionary man
Born in Paris in 1906 into a family of lawyers, Raymond Triboulet initially planned a legal career and studied law and literature. In 1939, he joined the 208th Infantry Regiment as a lieutenant. In 1940, he was taken prisoner of war but was medically repatriated in 1941. Upon his return, he organized a clandestine intelligence network and worked with several Resistance groups. On June 7, 1944, with the help of Maurice Schumann, the future Minister of Foreign Affairs, Raymond Triboulet helped convince the British military authorities of the legitimacy of General de Gaulle's provisional government. This led to his appointment on June 16 as Sub-Prefect of Bayeux and the liberated zone.
In 1945, Raymond Triboulet founded the Landing Committee. He was elected MP in 1946 for the Bayeux constituency, which encompassed a large part of the landing beaches, including the Omaha, Gold, and Juno sectors. He held this position for 27 years, during which time he was also appointed Minister of Gaullist Governments twice: first as Minister of Veterans Affairs and then as Minister Delegate for Cooperation.
A staunch pro-European, he sat on the Council of Europe and became a member of the European Parliament from 1973 to 1987. He also chaired the European Confederation of Veterans.
In 1979, he was elected a member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of the Institut de France for exceptional service to the State. In 1991, he was appointed President of the Institut de France. Admiral Brac de La Perrière succeeded him as head of the Landing Committee in 1999, after 54 years as president.
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and holder of numerous foreign decorations, he was made a Knight Commander (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
Raymond Triboulet died on March 26, 2006 at the age of 99.
