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From March, 1953 till April, 1967, the village of MARVILLE welcomed a Canadian air base of the NATO on its territory.
During these years, the 1st Wing Royal Canadian Air Force glanced through the region aboard their jets of fight and observation. Endowed with F84, with F86 Sabre, with F100 then with F104, this fighter group occupied several thousand persons. The importance of the life zone of the base shows the important infrastructure which it was necessary to realize for the fulfillment of the missions of the NATO. We could find besides tracks and sheds plane, a hospital, a swimming pool, an ice rink, a tenpin bowling there, schools, messes, bank, snack-bar, Protestant chapel, Catholic chapel and housing for the single airmen. As for the married airmen and their families, they lived in a village of mobil-home next to the base and especially in a vast city of 418 housing, situated to LONGUYON, the PMQ.
In 1967, France was not any more a part of the NATO, further to the decision of the General de Gaulle. The Canadians had to leave our territory and the base was abandoned. The French Air Force resumed it temporarily as base of fold for its own jets, notably for jets "Jaguar" of Saint-Dizier. Dismantled since, the infrastructure of the base deteriorates, in spite of the activity of certain buildings by private companies.
During their departure of LONGUYON in 1967, an Indian totem, given in present to the city of LONGUYON by the Canadian Air Force, was implanted in city and inaugurated in the presence of the commander of the base, of the authentic Indian chief and of the municipal authorities.
The totem always belongs in place to LONGUYON, the Canadian city became co-owners' residence and the base is slowly dying...
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