Valérie André
1922–2025 (age 103)
Biography
Valérie André (French pronunciation: [valeʁi ɑ̃dʁe] ; 21 April 1922 – 21 January 2025) was a neurosurgeon, aviator, and the first female member of the French military to achieve the rank of General Officer, in 1976, as Physician General. In 1981, she was promoted to Inspector General of Medicine. A helicopter pilot, she is the first woman to have piloted a helicopter in a combat zone. She was also a founding member of the Académie de l'air et de l'espace.
As a member of the military, she was not addressed as "Madame la Générale" (a term reserved for spouses of generals) but as "General".