Émile Paganon is a former French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 military officer of the chasseurs alpins and skier. He was leader of the national Olympic military patrol team

Military patrol at the 1948 Winter Olympics

At the 1948 Winter Olympics, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1948, the last military patrol competition was held as a demonstration sport. This was in part to the aftermath of World War II, which decimated Europe. This sport would be superseded by the biathlon competition which debuted at the 1960...

 in 1948

1948 Winter Olympics

The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...

 which placed fifth.

Paganon was born in Thônes

Thônes

Thônes is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:The Fier flows northwestward through the middle of the commune and crosses the village.-References:*...

. He was married to Herminie with one son. The family lived in the French district Vercors

Vercors

Vercors is an upland district in the south-east of France:* Vercors Caves, a set of long caves* Vercors Plateau, a range of mountains and plateaus in the department of Isère, French Alps* Vercors Regional Natural Park, a protected area of southeastern France...

, when he served as a ski reconnaissance platoon leader in the 6th Bataillon de chasseurs alpins in Gresse

Gresse

Gresse is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. During WWII one of the German death marches passed through the town. 60 Allied POWs died in a "friendly fire" situation when strafed by a flight of RAF Typhoons....

 from 1941 to 1943 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. In January 1943 their only son died. In the following years he was Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

 in the 3rd/7th Bataillon de chasseurs alpins in Savoy

Savoy

Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....

. For his merits in the battle of the Little St Bernard Pass

Little St Bernard Pass

The Little St Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France and Aosta Valley, Italy to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, precisely on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St...

 he was awarded with the Bronze Star Medal

Bronze Star Medal

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

 by Montgomery

Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...

.