Deaths - General Jean-Claude Parize

The NICE-MATIN newspaper of December 30, 2021 announced the death of General Parize, an eminent and assiduous member of our regional group.the tragedy of the successive recent disappearances of one of his sons, and then of his wife, whom we knew well as she was also a devotee of our conferences and events.

General Parize's public life was dedicated to serving the nation, first in the military, then as an active citizen when he settled in the Alpes Maritimes.

His military career, which began at the Ecole de l'Air (class of 1955), began with a long stint as a Mirage IV pilot in the Air component of the deterrent force. Anyone with a passion for aeronautics can imagine the endurance and self-control required by this demanding service to France's security. Jean-Claude Parize's modesty never led him to flatter himself about his talent, except in a rare confidence about the physical toughness required of crews on Mirage IV N missions, ensuring a constant presence in the air on a rotating basis, and perfect readiness for any retaliation. He went on to command major air bases, first as second-in-command at the 702 base at Avord, then as colonel and head of the 125 base at Istres. In May 1982, he was appointed to the Private Office of the President of the French Republic, where he brought all his experience of the operation of the air component of nuclear deterrence.

A graduate of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale (IHEDN), he went on to head the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre Aérienne (ESGA). A three-star Major General in the French Air Force, Jean-Claude Parize had received numerous decorations.

His simplicity among us, in the 3AF regional group, was matched only by his assiduity, in the company of his wife, and his attentiveness to all the subjects we presented. He also took part in all our visits, and when we toured the Istres base, with a lecture in hand, he stayed close to us.of us 3AF members, saying that he didn't want to embarrass his cadets, his successors in command of the base, trusting in their mastery and knowledge of all the technical improvements, and in their ability to make the most of them. their knowledge of all the technical improvements, both on board and in the overall system, made since his own service, in particular the roles now assigned to the Rafale aircraft, the new in-flight refueling tankers, and the assistance provided by satellite systems.

Like all pilots, he loved the third dimension, and whether it was astronaut missions or satellite-based Earth observation missions, he was extending all the knowledge he had acquired himself in the course of his brilliant career.

During the post-conference dinner chats, I would sometimes engage in a half-voiced dialogue on major geostrategic issues and the balance of the world. He knew all the threats, but didn't profess on sensitive political issues, except to warn that the threats are ever-present and that Europe, the European Union and the United States, are the key players.Europe, that of the European Union, lacks the strong cohesion to impose a defense weight commensurate with its economic vitality. We shall miss you dearly, General, and you too, dear Madame Parize.

Jean-Jacques Dechezelles, President of the Groupe Régional Côte d'Azur 3AF