On August 18 at 9 a.m., a Flag Raising Ceremony will be held at the Peace Memorial on Eastwood Drive in honor of 2nd Lt. Edward Loustalot, a US Army Ranger and Franklin native. Loustalot was part of the first US Ranger Battalion that trained in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, before participating in Operation Jubilee (Dieppe Raid) on August 19, 1942, alongside other Allied forces.
During this operation, Lt. Loustalot led the British No. 3 Commando/US Rangers battalion onto the beach and up the cliff of Berneval Le Grand, France. Unfortunately, he was killed in action while facing heavy machine gun fire from Nazi gun nests positioned on the cliffs above.
Since the end of World War II, Berneval Le Grand & Dieppe France have honored 2nd Lt. Edward Loustalot without his family’s knowledge until 2019 when Diane Boutier, a Board Member of the Memorial du 19 Aout 1942 Dieppe Museum, contacted local authorities. Lt. Loustalot is remembered through various memorials and museums both in Europe and Northern Ireland.
This year, the City of Franklin will conduct their flag raising ceremony independently but plans to rejoin their partners in France for a joint International Flag Raising Ceremony next year. The ceremony pays tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of 2nd Lt. Edward Loustalot, US Army Ranger.