Sister City - Breal-sous-Montfort

The City of Harrisburg met with the City of Breal-sous-Montfort on June 20, 2025, via an on-line Zoom meeting, to celebrate our Sister City partnership.  The partnership was officially established on June 13, 2025.  This celebration of a relationship between Breal-sous-Montfort, France, and Harrisburg, OR, USA, is in memorium of 1st. Lieutenant Russell Quinn. 

The following section is from the agreement that the City has entered into, with the City Administrators responses to how Harrisburg will meet the obligations of meeting the terms of the agreement.   

Following unanimous approval by their respective city councils on February 11 and April 24, 2025, the cities of Harrisburg, Oregon, USA, and Breal-sous-Montfort, France, establish through this agreement their sister cities relations, in order to strengthen their bonds of friendship around the memory of Lieutenant Russell Gerald Quinn, an American pilot from Harrisburg, shot down at Breal-sous-Montfort on June 13, 1944.

Considering further the close and historical ties between the United States of America and France, as well as the numerous actions that celebrate a French-American friendship that must always be maintained, the two sister cities agree to:

It is my honor as the City Administrator of Harrisburg to share in the warmth of this relationship with Breal-sous-Montfort, as together, we strengthen our ties built around the memory of 1^st Lieutenant Russell Quinn.

1- Continue to honor the memory of Lieutenant Quinn and pay tribute each year to all those who have fought to defend freedom around the world, during their respective patriotic ceremonies.

Harrisburg will be working on a commemorative ceremony to be held on an annual basis starting in 2026. (It is our intention to mirror the commemorative event in France, in the spirit of joining with you as we honor the memory of Lieutenant Quinn).  We will also be focusing on 1^st Lt. Russell Quinn during the 74^th 4^th of July Celebration in Harrisburg.  This is also the 250^th Anniversary of the beginning of our Democracy. 

2 - Pass on the duty of remembrance to younger generations, by involving school pupils in commemorative ceremonies and by organizing exhibitions or conferences for their benefit.

Harrisburg will be working with the School District to have youth be a part of the commemorative ceremony on an annual basis. An Exhibition will be set up in 2026 during the 4^th of July, for people to learn more about our relationship, as well as to commemorate the lives of those who have died while protecting our freedom.

3 - Enable the residents of Harrisburg and Breal-sous-Montfort to get to know each other better through the regular exchange of information on the two towns, by disseminating it in local publications and press outlets.

Harrisburg has a dedicated web page for the Breal Sister City relationship.  As the two cities work further on our relationship, we can share ways our citizens can connect on social media, and on the website.

4 - Encourage and facilitate direct contacts between residents of the two cities who wish to establish friendly links or fruitful contacts, particularly in the academic, linguistic, cultural, tourist, sporting or artistic fields. 

Harrisburg will facilitate connection of people through social media and our website.  We will expressly reach out to the School District on ways to foster engagement between the youth of our two communities.

5. - Facilitate the reception of people who wish to go to Harrisburg or Breal-sous­ Montfort and guide them to enable them to visit Oregon or Brittany respectively, during tourist, cultural or educational trips.

Harrisburg will encourage the citizens of our community to join and facilitate a committee that will connect them with visitors from Breal.

6 - Promote and support any other initiative that will strengthen ties between the two cities, including in the craft and commercial sectors.

Harrisburg will communicate the possibilities available through our partnership with Breal, with our local businesses and the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce.

This sister-cities agreement, symbolically signed on the anniversary of the death of Lieutenant R.G. Quinn, will be brought to the attention of the inhabitants of both towns, in order to invite them to participate in the various actions which will be undertaken.