Dan Tataru, Secretary of State in the Romanian Ministry of National Defence, took part on May 30th and 31st in the commemoration of the Romanian soldiers, victims of World War 1, in Alsace and Lorraine.

On Saturday, May 30th, Secretary of State Tataru unveiled a memorial plate dedicated to the 32 Romanian soldiers who lost their lives in 1917, in Blaesheim, France.

In 1923, a similar plate was displayed on the wall of the Town Hall by the village inhabitants but later, in 1940, it was destroyed by the German occupation authorities and was never rebuilt. The local authorities graciously agreed this plate to be exhibited in the same place it had in 1923. On this occasion, the State Secretary handed in Mr. Jacques Bauer, the village Mayor, the Medal of Honor of the Romanian Armed Forces.

On May 31st, Secretary of State Tataru participated in the Romanians’ annual pilgrimage to the Romanian cemetery from Soultzmatt and in a religious service held annually in memory of the 2,000 Romanian soldiers who lost their lives in Alsace and Lorraine in 1917.

The ceremony was also attended by Romanians living in France, Germany Belgium and Switzerland, becoming a meeting place for the Romanians living in Western Europe who cherish this commemoration and plan it long time in advance.

During the ceremony, a religious service and a wreath-laying ceremony were held at the Romanian Soldiers Memorial and messages of the Romanian and French authorities were delivered to the participants.

MoND Press Office