WEYDERT, René
Birthday: 11.06.1929, Lenningen
Father: Jean WEYDERT
Mother: Madeleine RAUEN
Service entry: 07.12.1948
Contingent: 2nd
Ranks: Soldat de 2e Classe
Soldat de 1re Classe (1950)
Caporal (1951)
Death: 21.04.2008
On 7 December 1948, even before his official call to serve, René volunteered to join the Army. Being first attached to the Centre d’Instruction in Walferdange, he later was assigned to the military police, where he served in various police stations throughout Luxembourg. Once appointed Caporal, René thought about quitting the service and becoming a police officer. To his disadvantage, no police exams were held until January 1954, which kept him stuck with the troops. Instead of pursuing idealistic or adventurous motives, René volunteered to join the second contingent, merely to make the time pass until he could eventually commence his police career.
After his return from Korea, he rejoined the military police and successfully passed the police exam in 1954, where he began his service as agent de police de 2e classe in Luxembourg City. In 1971, Weydert was promoted to Inspecteur de police and in 1977 to Inspecteur-chef de police. On 1st July 1984, René retired as Commissaire de police.
"Dat eenzegt wat ech vun der Reess behalen hunn (...), dat ass vun Hawaii op Wake (Island). Do war Stuerm, mir sinn nuets geflunn. (...) an do [ass] heiansdo de Fliger (...) an e Loftlach gefall, an dann hues de d'Probelleren héieren, dann hunn déi gehault. Dann huet en sech rem ropgezunn op déi normal Héicht. Da war en nach net gutt rop, bumm ass e rem rof. Dat war vun Hawaii op Wake. (...) vu Sasebo op Pusan mam Schëff. Mir waren nach net aus dem Hafen, do stoung ech schonn um Glänner (...). Ech war esou krank (...), a déi stoungen do ze laachen, meng Kollegen. (laacht)"
René Weydert in an interview about the journey to Korea, 14.5.2007. © Marmann/MNHM
"Also, ech kann nëmmen dat héi soen: Ech hunn näischt versprach kritt, guer näischt! Ech hu meng Karriär gemaach, wéi se programméiert war. Ech hunn net vun der Arméi gesot kritt, hei komm lo, bleif lo bäi eis, da gëss de Chef vun der Arméi. Guer näischt. Et huet och kee Mënsch eppes gesot, ech si rem a meng MP gaangen, ech hu mäin Déngen dann do gemaach bis ech dat Joer drop an d'Police komm sinn."
René Weydert reacting to the allegations about empty promises made by the Luxembourg Army, 15.5.2007. © Marmann/MNHM
