All very well said. This officer represents the very best of mankind and his killer the worst.

I suspect that the killer agreed to the exchange in order to take down a member of the Gendarmarie National. A final act...

God bless this man...

A truly incredible selfless act.

No Words can suffice
 

Well said ImageGear.

There are so very few men who would act as Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame did. His selfless act does him, his family,his friends the Gendarmerie and indeed France Geat Honour. I salute your Valour and humanity. My sincere condolences to All that knew Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame. Per Ardua Ad Astra.

I have followed the many fine tributes posted here and I thought of another French citizen who made the ultimate sacrifice to help and protect others -- Violette Szabo.

Before she embarked on her mission she was given a poem written by Leo Marks, writer, and in WWII the Head of Cryptology at the SOE, to enable her to send messages in code. The poem will be forever linked with her.

The opening six lines encapsulate the actions of this Officer in a far better way than any words of mine.

John 15:13 (KJV)
I'd say Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame showed a whole lotta love.
Hand salute
Taps

In the ceremony attended by several former French presidents, Mr Macron awarded the officer France's highest accolade, the Legion d'Honneur.

Trèbes attack: Paris ceremony for hero policeman Arnaud Beltrame - BBC News

Very right and proper. I feel sometimes the word "hero" is overused. "Football hero scores winning goal" I tend to define a hero as someone who had a safer, easier option, but chose the difficult, honourable one.

Well done, SIR.

I haven't seen any reference but I hope we were represented at the ceremony in Paris today. I think it would have required the attendance of the British ambassador, if not a senior government representative, to show that we are all together in fighting these scumbags.

Edward David Gerard Llewellyn, Baron Llewellyn of Steep, OBE, PC Her Majesty's Ambassador to France, tweeted that it was an honour to attend the ceremony this morning.

I am doing my bit to draw attention to the fact that in the 21st century Governments and the agencies they are responsible for communicate by twitter. Facebook used to be used too, but given the data misuse scandal, I guess that is no longer popular.

Thanks for the info, Roving :ok:

No CMG or KCMG? Odd :confused:

They should have taken the funeral cortege through Seine-Saint-Denis.