Stranded in 1954 at the French garrison, she aided wounded soldiers who had come under relentless attack by Viet Minh guerrillas.
Geneviève de Galard with other members of the French military after leaving Dien Bien Phu in what is now Vietnam on May 24, 1954. Geneviève de Galard, a French air force nurse in the 1950s Indochina war who became known as the “angel of Dien Bien Phu,” the only woman in an embattled garrison amid wounded and dying soldiers as well-armed guerrilla fighters closed in, died May 30 at age 99.by France’s Foreign Legion, but no other details were provided.
Ms. de Galard and others were soon allowed to evacuate Dien Bien Phu, a strategic foothold near the border with Laos. Her story and sense of duty quickly captivated war correspondents, including as the subject of a cover story in Paris Match as a symbol of French pride even in defeat. Within weeks, she was back in Paris to a hero’s welcome and then embarked on a 19-day tour of the United States, which included a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan and a White House Rose Garden ceremony to receive thefrom President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The citation noted that her actions at Dien Bien Phu had “inspired and heartened the entire free world.”
Ms. de Galard took up duties in the cavelike field hospital, treating the growing number of injuries and health problems from dwindling supplies and nonstop stress. She reportedly lost 18 pounds during the ordeal and got the nickname “Toothpick.” She fashioned a uniform from camouflage fatigues and wore basketball sneakers or sandals. As the only woman on the base took refuge in Toulouse but returned to Nazi-occupied Paris in late 1942.
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