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- The Miami Herald, Florida, 5 Aug 1999
Marguerite Petitjean Bassett, 78
Marguerite Petitjean Bassett lived an extraordinary life - devoted mother,
society hostess and the first woman to parachute into enemy territory in
France during World War II. Bassett, 78, died Sunday.
"She was an extremely kind and loving woman," said her daughter-in-law,
Melissa Bassett. "But at the same time, she was very stern. You really saw the
soldier in her." Bassett, born in Strasbourg, France, in 1921, was trained as
a nurse during her teenage years. She volunteered as a Red Cross ambulance
driver in 1939. But a single act of cruelty propelled her to become a World
War II soldier. Bassett witnessed a Nazi officer shoot a little girl who lived
in her town. The incident inspired her to join the French Resistanc
Bassett joined the Free French Forces and went to England, where she received
special training by the Royal Air Force. She learned how to parachute a
perform dangerous acts of sabotage. When she returned to France, she made her
first jump near Lyons and eventually completed 17 missions. Bassett's
assignments supported military actions to disable enemy bridges and pow
stations. She suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull a
spine, and her life was often in grave danger. During one sabotage mission,
she was captured by two enemy soldiers, her family said. Bassett waited until
they fell asleep and then tied them up while holding her .32-caliber gu
which she nicknamed Josephine and kept throughout her life.
Bassett's missions were so successful that the Germans placed a 10-million-
franc ($500,000) price on her head. Known by the code name Binette, she
attained the rank of captain and was awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest
military decoration in France. She was also a five-time recipient of the Croix
de Guerre, a French award for bravery.
When World War II ended in 1945, Bassett cast off her military fashions and
immersed herself in the elegant fashions and milieu of high society. At the
Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, she married American, Harry Hood Bassett,
whom she had met during the war. They moved to Palm Beach and then to Miami.
Harry Hood Bassett became well known in South Florida banking, rising to
chairman of Southeast Banking Corp.
Yellowed newspaper clippings show that Marguerite Bassett cut a striking
figure in Miami during the 1950s. "Stunning was Mrs. Harry Hood Bassett, co-
chairman of the grand ball, wearing a white silk brocaded sheath with a
cascade of white tulle," reported one Miami Herald column that spotlighted her
social standing. "It's just incredible how she went from her life as a war
hero to become part of the social world," Melissa Bassett said.
After her divorce in 1955, Marguerite Bassett focused her attention on raising
three young sons - Harry Hood Jr., Patrick Glenn and George Rodney. "She was
always there for the good times and bad times throughout our lives," her son
George recalled. "She was always a supporter, and there was a complete sense
of trust between her and the three of us." In 1959, Allen Dulles, then
director of the CIA, honored her and other World War II heroes at a reception
at his home.
Bassett participated in many charitable events and belonged to a variety of
civic organizations. "She was also passionate about the issue of
desegregation," Melissa Bassett said. "She invited black performers to her
home at a time when it wasn't acceptable."
In addition to her three sons, Bassett is survived by eight grandchildren.
A Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Church of the Epiphany, 8235 SW
57th Ave.
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Bassett Family Association Database
Abt 1921 - 1999 (~ 78 years)