Roger Holeindre was born on March 21, 1929 at Corrano, Corse.
He spent his childhood in the Vosges followed by Seine-Saint-Denis. When the Second World War broke out, he was still a child. However, in August 1944, during the liberation, he was a 15-year-old adolescent willing to fight and who, due to youthful foolhardiness, enthusiastically started performing resistance acts. Thus, in the Paris suburb, he single-handedly snatched two twin machine guns from the Germans as they withdrew...
This episode marked the beginning of his military call as a serviceman and volunteer. A metal worker, he volunteered in 1948 to serve in Indochina, where he was sent to the naval attack divisions, the Dinassaults. He was later on admitted into the 1st parachute commando half-brigade. Master Caporal Holeindre made three successive trips to Indochina till the Dien Bien Phu battle.
Upon repatriation, he volunteered to serve in Algeria. In 1956, Sergeant Roger Holeindre became the combat group principal within the 8th Colonial Parachutist Regiment, where he distinguished himself again during commando missions, notably near the Tunisian border where huge FLN military detachments from Tunisia were based.
After sustaining serious injuries, Roger Holeindre was demobilized and settled in the city of Tebessa, East Algeria. There, he founded a youth centre and participated in the education and leisure of some young Muslims, a social activity thanks to which he was commended as a civilian in the army order...
When the April 1961 putsch occurred, he rejected the independence granted under unacceptable conditions. He re-integrated the Secret Army Organization and created, in Constantinois, the Bonaparte maquis. This was a maquis comprising pied-noir and Muslim combatants. Captured and incarcerated, Roger Holeindre escaped and continued, against all odds, the fight for French Algeria. He was caught again and sentenced to a fourteen-year prison term for "treason".
Pardoned, he was freed three years later. He started the career of a great reporter for Paris Match, before becoming a journalist for Figaro. As a writer, he authored about thirty books. As a political figure, in 1972, he notably co-founded the National Front, and served as parliamentarian of Seine St Denis from 1986 to 1988. In terms of associations, he became CNC (Cercle National des Combattants) chairperson and assumed outstanding functions in various associations.
Wounded twice, including one seriously time, and considered as one of the youngest resistant fighters of France, a military medallist, Roger Holeindre received 5 commendations, including one for his action in favour of the Muslim youths of Aurès Nementcha. He notably holds the Overseas Campaigns war cross, the military valour cross, and the volunteer servicemen cross.
HOLEINDRE Roger called "Popeye"
