In September 2021, Jean Quétier became Chairman of the D Day landing committee succeeding Jean-Marc Lefranc. Born in 1951 in Saint Joseph, Manche, Jean Quétier studied philosophy. Strongly motivated by the desire to pass on and share his knowledge, he worked as a teacher for 21 years in Montebourg, working with people with motor or sensory disabilities, and was director of the Association Normande d’Entraide aux Handicapés Physiques (ANEHP) between 2004 and 2011.

Involved in the political life of the commune of Sainte-Mère-Église since 1995, Jean Quétier has held several mandates to promote local development. He emphasises the importance of the D-day landing committee as a key player in the Memorial, saying: “The committee remains a major player in the Remembrance”.

His vision for the committee is based on several strategic axes:

• passing on the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

• balancing the memories of all the Allied nations, as well as Germany.

• pooling remembrance initiatives

• the renovation of the Memorial Pegasus Museum

These initiatives are part of a new phase of development. Indeed, the period from 1944 to 1984 was marked by the “period of stones”, dedicated to the construction of places of remembrance, such as the Monuments Signal and various museums, notably those at Arromanches and Sainte-Mère-Église. From 1984 to 2024, we experienced the “period of witnesses”, characterised by the return of witnesses to the beaches and landing sites.

Today, we are entering a new period of 40 years to build on, which was inaugurated by the 80th anniversary of D-Day. This commemoration has given rise to several initiatives, putting the spotlight on young people: the children’s ceremony, the Prix Liberté and the artistic presentations at the international ceremony are just a few examples. These initiatives augur well for the future of the commemoration of the Second World War and the Normandy landings.