Vies Eugène & Walda (Hart de Keating)

Viès, Eugène Paul Costant Viès, Walda Béatrice Elise Christine (Hart de Keating) Before the war Mathieu and Nadia Béja lived in Solliès-Pont (Var), France, with their two sons, Albert (b. 1925) and Georges (b. 1927).When the area was invaded by the Germans in 1942, Albert and Georges were sent to Belgentier, where they were kept safe until the end of the war. At first Mathieu and Nadia remained in Solliès-Pont, but in September 1943 they received warnings that the Gestapo was about to arrest them. Nadia’s acquaintances Eugène and Walda Viès lived just outside of Solliès-Pont. They offered to shelter the Béja couple, along with Florence Béja and the Berco couple, for two critical days of the arrests. They were fully aware of the great danger they faced if denounced: they would have been deported. Nerveless they did not hesitate to help the Béjas, and they asked for nothing in return. Without the Viès couple’s critical help, Mathieu and Nadia would most likely have been deported at that time. After two days of hiding with Eugène and Walda, Mathieu and Nadia went to Belgentier, where the mayor, Etienne Arnaud (recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 2000), provided them with false identities. Florence Béja remained hidden at the Viès home for two more months, until Eugène managed to find a safe place for her. The close connection between the Béja and the Viès families was maintained for many years after the war. On August 4, 2014, Yad Vashem recognized Eugène and Walda Viès as Righteous Among the Nations.