**Odile de Vasselot: French Resistance Icon Passes Away at 103**

Odile de Vasselot, a distinguished figure of the French Resistance during World War II, died at 103, remembered for her bravery and subsequent humanitarian work.

Odile de Vasselot, a remarkable aristocrat and courageous member of the French Resistance during World War II, passed away on April 21 in Paris at the age of 103. Known for her remarkable contributions to the fight against Nazi occupation, de Vasselot first became involved in the Resistance at her family's château in south-central France after hearing Charles de Gaulle’s call for resistance over a makeshift radio.

Announced by the Order of the Liberation, the news of her death emphasized her significance to the Resistance movement, which she joined as a teenager. De Vasselot started by chalking the Lorraine Cross—an emblem adopted by General de Gaulle—on walls and tearing down propaganda posters. Eventually, her activities escalated to dangerous nighttime missions delivering messages and escorting Allied airmen across the Belgian front.

Reflecting on her wartime experiences in later years, de Vasselot declared, “One had to do something. One never has the right to just sit there and do nothing.” Her activism was fueled by a passionate disdain for Nazi symbols displayed in Paris, and she became a symbol of unwavering courage among her peers.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to de Vasselot, honoring her legacy as someone who “honorably answered all the appeals throughout her life” and exuded a courage that serves as a source of inspiration. After the war, de Vasselot went on to make significant contributions to education, founding a girls' school in Ivory Coast, demonstrating her lifelong commitment to empowerment and resilience.