He commanded the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
He graduates from Saint Cyr Military Academy in 1939, took part in the fighting around Sedan in 1940 and became a prisoner of war.
He was liberated in 1945 by the US Army and joined the 9th Colonial Infantry Division bound for Indochina in 1946.
He took part in operations around Tulé and Lang Son before he was given command of his own parachute battalion, the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion, and becoming one of the key French commanders in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
Like many other key French commanders, he received a promotion toward the end of the battle, in his case to Major.