Virtual flag raising ceremony Thursday

On Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 12:30p.m. the City of Franklin will be conducting a LIVE Virtual International Flag Raising Ceremony in honor of Army Ranger, 2nd Lt. Edward V. Loustalot whom was the 1st American Solider to die in Nazi occupied Europe during World War II on August 19, 1942 in an effort to liberate France. The French government and its citizens have commemorated and memorialized Lt. Loustalot annually since August 19, 1946.
The City of Franklin and the Loustalot family was made aware of this in October of 2019 when the City was contacted by Ms. Diane Boutier, an American Curator, of the “Memorial du 19 Aout 1942” in Dieppe, France.
Mayor Alain Duc of Barnaval le Grand, Mayor Patrice Philippe of Petite Caux and I will conduct an international memorial for our regions to virtually celebrate together. This event will be covered LIVE on the City of Franklin, Louisiana-Mayor’s Office Facebook page.
The Flag that will be raised over the Franklin Peace Memorial was flown over Lt. Loustalot's burial site in Ardennes American Cemetery & Memorial in Neupré, Belgium on January 3, 2020 and was presented as a gift to the City of Franklin on January 22, 2020.
Lt. Edward Loustalot was one of the first 50 select U.S. Army Rangers embedded with British Commandos in what is now known as Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid of August 19, 1942. Unfortunately Lt. Loustalot was killed in action during the raid. This raid ultimately gave U.S. and Allied forces a blueprint for the invasion of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. For the first time members of the Loustalot family will be in attendance of the memorial in Dieppe, France.