Jean Sassi

{{Infobox military person

|name=Jean Sassi

|image=Jean Sassi 001.jpg

|caption=Jean Sassi in 1944

|birth_date=11 June 1917

|death_date=9 January 2009

|birth_place=Tunis, Tunisia

|death_place=Eaubonne, France

|nickname=

|allegiance=France

|branch=French Army

|serviceyears=1938–1971

|rank=Colonel

|unit=Jedburgh
Force 136
GCMA

|commands=

|battles=World War II
First Indochina War
Algerian War

|awards=Commander of the Légion d'honneur
Croix de guerre 1939-1945
Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures

|relations=

|laterwork=

}}

Jean Sassi (11 June 1917 – 9 January 2009) was a French Army colonel and intelligence service officer, former "Jedburgh" (BCRA) of France and Far East. Commando chief of the SDECE's 11th Shock Parachutist Regiment (11e régiment parachutiste de choc). Maquis chief in French Indochina through the GCMA (1953–1955).[http://www.ecpad.fr/ECPA/PagesDyn/data/asp/video.asp?ref=sassi Jean Sassi and his Hmong troops in Laos] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814102931/http://www.ecpad.fr/ECPA/PagesDyn/data/asp/video.asp?ref=sassi |date=2009-08-14 }}, Official video published by the French Ministry of Defence

Sassi was born in French-ruled Tunis, from a family of Corsican origin. His grandfather had been a French soldier during the Tonkin Campaign. The young Sassi aspired to be a championship swimmer.{{cite web | url=https://www.histoiredumonde.net/Colonel-Jean-Sassi.html | title=Histoire du monde.net }}

During the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in April 1954 Jean Sassi led Mèo partisans (GCMA) in Operation Condor, also known as Operation D.[http://philippe-raggi.blogspot.fr/2009/02/compte-rendu-de-loperation-d-par-le.html Philippe Raggi's blog : Summary of Operation D by Jean Sassi (in French)][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n0Tc_9NN3A Video with 1954 color footages and later comments by col. Jean Sassi (in French)] He also participated in the French war in Algeria. Promoted to Commandant (equivalent to Major) on February 2, 1960 but was sent home for serious medical issues. He left the army at the age of 54 with the rank of colonel and then joined the personnel department of Citroën.