Feb 21
What became of the other unknown soldiers that were considered for selection of a French 'Soldat Inconnu' in 1920?
In November 1920, eight unidentified soldiers from the Western Front were brought to Verdun to select the French 'Soldat Inconnu' for burial beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris—a powerful tribute to all those "Mort pour la France." While one was chosen to represent France's unknown dead, the seven remaining were reverently interred in the 'Section of the Seven Unknowns' (Carré des sept Inconnus) at Verdun’s Faubourg-Pavé cemetery. Their solemn procession through the city, attended by military, civil, and local communities, marked a unique act of national remembrance. Each grave is inscribed with "Soldat français inconnu mort pour la France," and since 2014, a Remembrance Flame burns there, honoring their sacrifice for generations to come.
