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'''Valérie André''' ({{IPA-fr|valeʁi ɑ̃dʁe|-|Fr-Valérie André.ogg}}; born 21 April 1922) is a veteran of the [[French resistance]], a [[neurosurgeon]], an [[aviator]] and the first female member of the military to achieve the rank of [[General Officer]], in 1976, as Physician General. In 1981, she was promoted to Inspector General of Medicine. A [[helicopter]] pilot, she is the first woman to have piloted a helicopter in a combat zone. She is also a founding member of the [[Académie de l'air et de l'espace]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Valerie Andre|url=http://www.aerodrome-gruyere.ch/hommage/valerie-andre.htm|publisher=Société d'aviation de la Gruyère|access-date=August 14, 2011|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/67wVCjCf9?url=http://www.aerodrome-gruyere.ch/hommage/valerie-andre.htm|archive-date=May 26, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
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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.
She continued in Algeria as a Medical Commander in 1960, where she completed 365 war missions. She rose to the rank of Medical Lieutenant Colonel in 1965 then to Medical Colonel in 1970. She had a total of 3200 flight hours, and received 7 citations of the [[
She has written two collections of memoirs : ''Ici, Ventilateur! Extraits d'un carnet de vol.'' (Calmann-Lévy, 1954) and ''Madame le général'' (Perrin, 1988).
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* Grand-croix of the Legion of Honour (19 December 1999); previously Chevalier on 25 February 1953
* Grand-croix of the [[Ordre National du Mérite]] in 1987, the first woman to receive this distinction.
* [[Croix de
* [[Croix de
* [[Croix de la Valeur Militaire|Médaille de la Valeur Militaire]]
* Médaille commémorative d'Indochine,
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