By Camille DeVaul

Rolande “Frenchy” Amundson led a life few could imagine, one defined by courage, resilience, and a relentless commitment to service. Born Rolande Colas de la Nouye, she was just 20 when World War II upended her life. Studying medicine in Paris, she saw the men around her arrested and sent to labor camps, while she and other women were sent home. Outraged, she vowed to fight back.

Amundson joined the French Underground Resistance and underwent six months of Special Operations Executive espionage training, earning the code name “Gerry.” On September 23, 1943, she parachuted into Normandy and posed as a cook at the Hotel Atlantique, where German forces — including Commander Erwin Rommel — were stationed. Using her position, she secretly tracked troop numbers and movements, providing critical intelligence for the D-Day invasion. She made three perilous trips back and forth, only to be betrayed on her final mission. Captured by the Gestapo, she endured brutal interrogation, torture, and was eventually sent to Mauthausen Concentration Camp, where she survived nearly a year of unimaginable horrors, including forced labor, starvation, and abuse, until liberation by the U.S. 11th Armored Division in May 1945.

After the war, Amundson continued to serve others. She became a nurse, working in French hospitals in Indochina, where she endured the tragic loss of her infant child and first husband. Returning to Paris, she worked at the American Embassy, where she befriended President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who encouraged her to emigrate to the United States. She married Master Sgt. Eugene Oscar Amundson in 1956 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1958, even as she battled cancer.

Settling in Paso Robles, Amundson began sharing her story in 1975, gaining admiration from the Special Forces, who made her an honorary member. She joined the California State Military Reserve, volunteered at the Camp Roberts Historical Museum, and generously supported military and local causes, donating over $100,000 to the Special Forces Association and contributing to the JFK Special Warfare Museum. In 1996, the Special Forces dedicated their national headquarters as the Frenchy Amundson Building in her honor.

When she passed away on October 7, 1997, Amundson was remembered in a grand tribute. Surrounded by veterans, service members, and friends, she received full military honors, was posthumously promoted to colonel, and was awarded the Red Beret of U.S. paratroopers. Rolande “Frenchy” Amundson’s life stands as a testament to courage, resilience, and unwavering service — a true hero in every sense.