Jean Bréchignac

Jean Bréchignac
Jean Bréchignac
	Brechignac (left) consulting a map. Indochina, 1953.
Nickname	"Brèche"
Born	25 September 1914; Cran-Gevrier, Haute-Savoie, France
Died	25 May 1984; Flayosc, Var, France
Allegiance	France
Branch	French Army
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (1er RCP); 9e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (9e RCP);
Commands	2nd Battalion, 1er RCP; 9e RCP;
Conflicts	World War II; First Indochina War; Algerian War;
Awards	Commander of the Légion d'honneur
Alma mater	École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (promotion 1935—37)

Jean Bréchignac (25 September 1914 – 25 May 1984) was a French Army officer who served in the Forces Françaises Libres in the Second World War and later became an airborne commander in Indochina and Algeria.

A graduate of the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, he led the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1er RCP) at Dien Bien Phu, where he survived Viet Minh captivity. He then commanded the 9e RCP in Algeria and served as chief of staff of the 25e Division Parachutiste. His career ended after he took part in the 1961 Algiers putsch, for which he received a suspended sentence and was removed from the active list.

He was a Commander of the Légion d'honneur and received thirteen citations.