The French gendarme Col Arnaud Beltrame

We can sometimes take for granted the courage and self sacrifice of the emergency services and those linked with them at times of disaster and tragedy because people say “that is their job” but we must never forget their humanity and frequently self -sacrificing devotion to duty.

The word "hero" is bandied about too often and too easily. Arnaud Beltrame was, truly, a hero.f

As maryeliza said, its good to hear about such courage and sacrifice when we so often hear the opposite view.
God Bless Arnaud Beltrame

It was an amazing act of bravery. I hope the hostage he saved will have lots of support to cope with their feelings. I'm no professional, but you could imagine them suffering from 'survivors guilt', couldn't you.

I was in tears watching the coverage as well. What a brave man.

We need reminding sometimes don’t we of the goodness of which people are capable - dh choked as the kepi was placed on the coffin with the words ‘he kept a photo of himself and his wife in it’. The other moving thing I read today was the praise for the morgue staff in the Manchester bomb. A person described the care the staff had taken in returning the possessions of their dead relative and clearly it had meant so much to them for these possessions to be treated with such care.

I haven't seen news of his funeral, but at the time of his sacrifice I was reduced to tears. Arnaud Beltrame was a hero and deserves every honour his country can bestow on him. What a tragic loss to his family, the force and to France.