Fernand Cabello, 17-year-old in 1942, lived in Saint-Pargoire (Hérault). His sister, Léonie Perrin, married with two children, age four and two, lived in Montpellier. Fernand met Marie Szyjowicz and fell in love with her. Marie, her parents, sister Bella and brother Salomon were foreign Jews who had fled Belgium during the German invasion. With help from the French Red Cross, they found refuge in Saint-Pargoire. In the summer of 1942, the Szyjowiczes sent Bella, 15, and Salomon, 12, to summer camp. During the month of August, however, the parents were arrested, along with their eldest daughter Marie, who was able to alert Fernand. When Bella and Salomon returned from their holidays, they were surprised to see Léonie on the station platform, waiting to take them home with her. Fernand had planned for his sister to care for them for a few weeks, during which time he took steps to free Marie and her parents, who were interned at Rivesaltes. With the help of Andrée Salomon, a social worker at the Children’s Relief Organization (OSE) he managed to have Marie released, but her parents were deported with transport no. 33 on September 16, 1942, and murdered in Auschwitz. Fernand and Marie then collected the two children from Léonie and returned to Saint-Pargoire. In 1943 they all moved to Corrèze, where Fernand worked to feed his wards. Thanks to the Resistance, he was able to get them false papers. Fernand and Marie were married at the end of the year, but then Fernand was conscripted into Forced Labor Service (STO) and had to go underground. Marie and the two children traveled to Paris where an aunt took them in and then had Bella and Salomon placed with two foster families. In 1944, Fernand returned to Paris and took part in the fight for Liberation. This intrepid youth had saved the lives of three young Jews.
On July 18, 2004, Yad Vashem recognized Fernand Cabello as Righteous Among the Nations.
On November 4, 2004, Yad Vashem recognized Léonie Perrin as Righteous Among the Nations.