Valérie André: Difference between revisions

'''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://web.archive.org/web/20120330182629/http://www.aerodrome-gruyere.ch/hommage/valerie-andre.htm|archive-date=March 30, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</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 1952–1953, she piloted 129 helicopter missions into the jungle, rescuing 165 soldiers, and on two occasions completed parachute jumps to treat wounded soldiers who needed immediate surgery.<ref>{{cite web|title=Le médecin général inspecteur Valérie André à l'honneur|url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/sante/actualites/le-medecin-general-inspecteur-valerie-andre-a-l-honneur|publisher=French Ministry of Defense|access-date=August 14, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Captain Valerie Andre: First Woman to Pilot a Helicopter in a Combat Zone|url=http://daytips.com/captain-valerie-andre-first-woman-to-pilot-a-helicopter-in-a-combat-zone/|publisher=Daytips|access-date=August 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330182635/http://daytips.com/captain-valerie-andre-first-woman-to-pilot-a-helicopter-in-a-combat-zone/|archive-date=March 30, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>