France loses one of final living WWII resistance heroes

PARIS: Daniel Cordier, who as secretary to famed French resistance leader Jean Moulin helped orchestrate his country's fight against its German occupiers in World War II, has died aged 100, a government source said Friday. His death means just one fighter among the 1,038 decorated by Charles de Gaulle as Heroes of the Resistance remains alive.

Born in the southwestern city of Bordeaux on August 10, 1920, Cordier had been about to enter the army when he left France in June 1940 to rejoin de Gaulle in London, after the general's celebrated call to not accept defeat by Nazi forces.