All right I will cut right to the chase. In the past I have
done several posts on the obnoxious forwarding of material best suited for the
garbage can. This was often of a political, historical, racist and stereotypical
nature. Granted, some of the forwarded material is innocuous, funny, or even
inspiring at times. It was during the period of our preemptive, unjustified,
trumped up, and immoral invasion of Iraq that I began gets lots of email
denigrating France. It seems the French government had failed to jump on the
invasion bandwagon. For this, the French
were denigrated for being ungrateful for America’s role in liberating them from
the Nazis. Other besmirches were too numerous to mention. We were advised to
drop the name “French fries” and use the term “American fries” among other
juvenile responses. 
The last time Barb and I were in France I caught up to her
overlooking the beaches at Normandy with Pont du Hoc in the distance to our
left.
I had just taken some pictures in the American cemetery. Barb was talking
to an American National Park Ranger in uniform. They were discussing invasion
strategy. I interrupted the conversation by asking the Ranger "what are
you doing here in uniform?" The Ranger replied, "I work here."
"How is that?" I asked. "This is American soil. It was given to
America by the people of France in honor of the American soldiers who died here
to free them from the Nazis." "In this way, she added, the American
heroes would be buried on American soil."
a few days late but in memory of D day
wow. that's very nice.
ReplyDeleteI have visited Normandy and had NO idea it was considered American soil. How cool and very nice of the French! That's about all I'll say about France....
ReplyDeleteI have not been to Normandy although my daughter was there in 2001 but she did not tell me this fact so I have learned from you today about the great appreciation of the French people for the sacrifice mae by Americans and i thank your.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story, Troutbirder, and how many people know this? I have read quite a bit about WW2 and never read anything about this gift. Its very touching!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Jo
what a nice tale, I visited here in 03.
ReplyDeleteI hear rude comments about the French all the time, and I think it comes from American spite and American envy of a people and culture who do not worship money or business. We are a nation of hustlers, and they are not. I have been reading Parkman's history of the French Jesuits in North America and their amicable relations with the peoples who lived here first. The French never sought to exterminate. They sought to teach and to understand. Think what might have been if Montcalm had won Quebec-
ReplyDeleteVery interesting indeed. I didn't know this, and I think it's indicative of people who have different values than we here in America hold. Is it too late for me to become a Frenchwoman? :-)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this either. Perhaps you should save it to send back to the fools that send all those hate e-mails.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize the American cemetery at Normandy was American soil. What a wonderful gesture by the French.
ReplyDeleteSo many things I could say about the ungracious remarks Americans have said about the French, other countries, people -- the list is long. But then I would be joining their club and I refuse to. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteWow---I certainly did not know that the cemetery at Normandy was "American Soil".... Neat that the French did that.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
I didn't know this, how wonderful. Now I'm going to ask hubby if he knew this.
ReplyDeleteHubby DID know that.
ReplyDeleteA regret I have is that in the several times I visited Europe and the one time I lived there I never went to Normandy. However I have visited American cemeteries in other countries like Italy. They were very moving, Emily and I wandered through what seemed like endless rows of white crosses.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad what has happened to the US since Wilson tried to start the League of Nations, it was a chance for us to be true moral leaders, instead we started an illegal war, and tried to bully others in joining us.
Normandy is one of the places we want to visit. I've heard it is one of the most sobering places on earth.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story! My British grandfather-in-law fought at Dunkirk.
ReplyDeleteYou are incredibly accurate. Even as a Canadian, I find ignorant people forwarding such hate mail. I cannot believe the perpetuated ignorance, which is, indeed, stupidity.
ReplyDeleteStupidity, the active pursuit of ignorance!
I am also a retired teacher.
Keep up the good work!
I love your header.
Cheers from Cottage Country!
Thanks for this post. If people knew the true history of world events, and not the propaganda.....
ReplyDeleteI can understand the why..the French did not want to invade Iraq..they felt that more should be done on a diplomatic level and that the UN should send in the Weapons Inspectors. Therefore France remained neutral..I think most of middle America especially those in the military were greatly offended by France's decision to remain un-involved.
ReplyDeleteI hate political emails and I trash them.
I wonder what the history books say about the French and the Americans during the Iraq invasion.
I know I did not have warm fuzzy feelings:(
This may be the most interesting (and good) thing I've learned this week.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
I would really like to do a D-Day tour in France some day.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I was ever near, was on a Globus bus tour and our guide was German who would say nothing at all about the Normandy Invasion as we sped through.
The more I blog about the war, the more interested I get in it.
I didn't know this! Thanks for the cool information! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. Lest we forget. It was a terrible, terrible beginning of the end of the war.
ReplyDeleteYes I have an Uncle buried in Italy at the American Cemetery. It is too bad those boys couldn't come home to get buried.:(
ReplyDeleteI remember being embarrassed by our government denigrating France for not joining us when we invaded Iraq, an immoral war that changed the whole Middle East and took (and still takes) the lives of millions. The French were right.
ReplyDeleteWhat many Americans fail to remember, if they ever learned it at all, is that we would all still be singing "God Save the Queen" if not for France's critically important help during the American Revolution, in the form of money, supplies, troops and naval resources. France is not one of our oldest allies, as politicians like to say. It IS our oldest ally.
ReplyDeleteI did not know it was American soil. Interesting.
ReplyDelete