Hubert Germain passes away at 101; he was one of 1,038 people celebrated as 'Companions of the Liberation' for their efforts to free the country

Pierre Simonet was one of three remaining fighters in the French resistance to the Nazi occupation at age 17; he died Thursday aged 99

The 1944 Mediterranean invasion as part of Operation Dragoon was hugely symbolic for a French nation eager to emphasize its role in its own liberation