SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – American Airlines is honoring South Lake Tahoe local and Holocaust survivor Leon Malmed with a trip to France in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Malmed is one of 70 veterans on the trip, which will begin with a parade send-off in Dallas before a flight to Paris and then Normandy.

According to American Airlines, “the trip will include visits to key historical sites, concerts and special ceremonies to honor the courage and sacrifice of all who served during World War II.” It will culminate in a ceremony on June 6 in the Normandy American Cemetery.

In Malmed’s words, “Somehow we [me and my wife, Patricia] have been chosen to join this group of 69 other people, I am so excited that we have the opportunity to get a deeper understanding of what happened on those beaches!”

Born in France in 1937, Leon Malmed is a longtime South Lake local, author, speaker, and cycling world champion. Malmed’s book We Survived … At last, I speak recounts his experience as a child in France during World War II. After his parents were taken from their apartment by Nazi foot soldiers, Malmed and his sister were hidden by their downstairs neighbors. It was not until the war was over that they learned their parents had passed away in Auschwitz. 

Malmed says that though he and his sister were in France for the duration of the war, “I was too young, I don’t know the whole history of Normandy. I, as a Holocaust survivor, am asked to speak about what happened in France at the time, so I studied history as much as I could, but I have to say that there is so much more to be learned.” 

Among the veterans honored by the upcoming American Airlines trip are many who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Malmed says he is “looking forward to meeting these veterans and hearing their stories.” He continued, “we owe so much — the world owes so much — to those people who participated in the liberation of France.”

In his book Malmed talks about how long it took him to speak in any way about his experiences during the war. For years, he simply could not discuss it. Now, he speaks often about that time in his life.

Looking forward to this trip he says it does feel “heavy with anticipation, anticipation for what I will learn that I don’t know about. I am still about [that time], there are sometimes sentences that I say when I give my presentation that bring everything so close that I have a tough time keeping a straight face.”

Despite that heaviness, Malmed is very much looking forward to the trip. He is a deep believer in the power of learning from history, especially the painful aspects: “I always say that our elected officials should mandatorily learn history, because we’re repeating our mistakes, mistake after mistake. It is so important to understand the negative effects of war, not only on soldiers but on women, on children.” 

Malmed says he sees the mistakes he lived through being repeated in Gaza and Ukraine. As he puts it, “the people of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza are living the nightmare of my childhood.” As he anticipates his trip through France and what he will learn, he is also thinking of them. 

Leon and Patricia Malmed leave for Paris with the commemorative flight on May 31.

You can read more about Leon Malmed’s life and career — including his Cycling World Championship wins — in this Tahoe Daily Tribune profile from 2023. His book We Survived … At Last, I speak is available for purchase online.