Franklin remembers World War II hero with virtual flag-raising

FRANKLIN — On Aug. 19, the city of Franklin held a live virtual wreath laying-flag raising ceremony in honor of Army Ranger, 2nd Lt. Edward V. Loustalot, the first American solider to die in Nazi occupied Europe during World War II.
KQKI 95.3FM collaborated with the city of Franklin and Petite Caux, France to livestream the ceremony.
The French government and its citizens have commemorated and memorialized Lt. Loustalot annually since Aug.19, 1946.
The city of Franklin and the Loustalot family were made aware of this in October 2019, when the city was contacted by Diane Boutier, an American board member of the Memorial du 19 Aout 1942 Museum in Dieppe, France.
Boutier and a small delegation from France traveled to Franklin in January 2020 to help usher in the city’s bicentennial celebration and to tell this amazing Louisiana story.
During the presentation, Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard and Public Relations Director Ed “Tiger” Verdin were presented medals of honorary citizenship from the Mayor of Berneval Le Grand, France.
Lt. Edward Loustalot was one of the first 50 select U.S. Army Rangers embedded with British and Canadian commandos in what is now known as Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid of August 19, 1942. Unfortunately, Loustalot was killed in action during the raid.
The raid ultimately gave U.S. and Allied forces a blueprint for the invasion of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.