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|image=Médecin general Valérie André (cropped).jpg
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|allegiance= {{flagicon|France}} [[France]]
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As a member of the military, she is not addressed as "Madame la Générale" (a term reserved for spouses of generals) but as "General".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/base/breves/2010/fevrier/vol_simule_pour_le_general_valerie_andre |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-08-14 |archive-date=2020-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821084732/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/base/breves/2010/fevrier/vol_simule_pour_le_general_valerie_andre/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
She started as a Medical Captain in Indochina in 1948, already a qualified parachutist and pilot, in addition to being an army surgeon.<ref>[http://lemamouth.blogspot.com/2010/09/un-brevet-en-or-massif.html Le mamouth: Un brevet, 54 ans après]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://members.multimania.co.uk/Indochine/cefeo/helicopt.html |title=''Ventilators'' : Helicopters in Indo-China (1950–54) |access-date=2011-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811103742/http://members.multimania.co.uk/Indochine/cefeo/helicopt.html |archive-date=2011-08-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> While in Indochina, she realized that the most difficult part of her duties was retrieving the wounded, who were often trapped in the jungle. She returned to France to learn how to pilot a helicopter, then flew one to Indochina. From
One typical mission occurred on 11 December 1951, when casualties were in urgent need of evacuation from Tu Vu on the Black River. The only available helicopter, stationed near [[Saigon]], was dismantled, flown to [[Hanoi]] by a Bristol Freighter and reassembled. Captain André then flew into Tu Vu despite heavy mist and anti-aircraft fire. There, she triaged the casualties, operated on the most pressing cases and then flew the urgent wounded back to Hanoi, two at a time. Later, she was put in command of a casualty evacuation flight.
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She is one of eight women to hold the Grand-croix (Great Cross) rank in the [[Legion of Honour]], with [[Germaine Tillion]], [[Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz]], [[Jacqueline de Romilly]], [[Simone Rozès]], [[Christiane Desroches Noblecourt]], [[Yvette Farnoux]] and [[Gilberte Champion]].
She is the aunt of politician [[André Santini]].▼
▲She is the aunt of politician [[André Santini]].
==Decorations==
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