Some Still Remember Their Friends
We tend to give the French grief fairly often. And in truth, as a nation and a society they do have their faults. And they definitely also look out for French interests first.
Yet as I’ve written several times before, the French also have a true sense of national honor. They also remember those who’ve helped them in the past.
This was recently again proven. This time, the proof came at West Point, NY.
At a recent ceremony held there, 34 US World War II veterans were presented the French Legion of Honor. The presentation was part of events leading up to the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of D-Day this year. In the words of the Consul General of France Bertrand Lortholary:
“Seventy years have passed since then, and yet the memory of the sacrifice of American soldiers remains more vivid than ever in the villages of France — in Normandy, in Provence, in the Ardennes, whose cemeteries bear witness to war’s cost in life. I want to tell you that your example gives us inspiration for the future.”
The choice of location for the presentation was intentional. During his remarks, Lortholary also indicated his belief that it was important to express France’s gratitude before those who would become some of the next generation of US officers.
Today, we don’t always see 100% eye-to-eye with the French. And as I said above and have said elsewhere: the French indeed have their faults. But ingratitude and a short memory certainly don’t seem to be among them.
This Army Times article provides more details, and several photographs. If you have the time, IMO it’s worth a look.
Category: Veterans Issues, Who knows
I see reminders all the time of how the sacrifices of so many are remembered in France, especially in Normandy…
We love to ridicule the French, and while perhaps some of it is deserved, and I am certain you will find Frenchman who will agree with that. Not all of it is.
Yes, we bailed them out in WWII, and they do remember that.
The French soldier, la poilu, is as brave, courageous, and patriotic as any other solider. The problem has never been with the men. It has always been with French political leadership, and the top level;s of their military.
After Napoleon, France has suffered a serious lack of senior leadership worthy of it’s military and it’s citizens.
I have often argued, and still do, that one of the greatest political tragedies to befall Europe was the defeat of Napoleon, and the reinstatement of the French Monarchy and the old aristocracy.
which of course makes them the complete opposite of us… (sarcasm, yes).
+100
The French have more than their share of Warriors. They always have. ‘U.S. Bronze Star Medal for Valor Posthumously Awarded to French Navy Commando Loic Le Page Recognizing Heroic Combat Action in Maruf Valley, Afghanistan The United States of America will pay tribute to the heroic combat action of a French Navy commando, Premier Maitre Loic Le Page, posthumously awarding him the Bronze Star Medal for Valor in a ceremony at the American Embassy in Paris on November 8, 2006. Premier Maitre Le Page’s widow, Aude, children Alexis and Eléonore, and father, General (retired) Maurice Le Page will be present to receive the honor. Major General Francis Kearney, Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, Central Command, will make the award on behalf of the President of the United States. U.S. Ambassador Craig Stapleton will present the family an American Flag that has flown over the American Embassy in Paris. Other French military officers attending the ceremony will include: French Air Force General Patrick Paimbault, Sous-chef « Opérations » auprès du Chef d’état-major des armées; Contre-Amiral Bernard Rogel, Chef de cabinet du Chef d’Etat-Major des Armées ; Amiral Alain Oudot de Dainville, Chef d’Etat-Major de la Marine; General de Division Benoît Puga, Commandant des Opérations Spéciales, and Contre-Amiral Pierre Martinez, Commandant de la Force maritime des fusiliers Marins et Commandos. On March 4, 2006, Premier Maitre Le Page was the assault team executive officer on a mission to sweep through the Maruf Valley in Afghanistan. While pursuing a group of militia, he and his men were hit by small arms, light machine gun fire, and rocket propelled grenades. His team returned fire, with him personally leading the assault until he was wounded by enemy machine gun fire. Three enemy militia members were killed and 10 were captured as a result of Premier Maitre Le Page’s actions. President Franklin Roosevelt authorized creation of the Bronze Star Medal during World War II to recognize military members for their heroic or meritorious actions against an enemy. The “Valor” device on the medal identifies that it was awarded for an act of combat heroism.… Read more »
Well said. I think sometimes we look at recent history (particularly WWII) in a pretty facile manner, and forget that WWII happened just 20 years after WW1 ended
(put another way, WW1 was more recent to the WWII generation than the first Gulf War is to us today.) WW1 profoundly changed the way Europeans in general – and the French in particular – looked at war. Almost an entire generation of Frenchmen were slaughtered in the trenches on the Western Front during WW1 and I think that sent a shock wave through French culture that left them paralyzed at the beginning of WWII, a factor that Germany was only too happy to capitalize on.
I honestly think you cannot really understand WWII unless you first understand WW1. Virtually every major breakthrough in military technology and strategy that we saw in WWII – from armored blitzkriegs to strategic bombing to paratroopers to amphibious assaults – came about in order to prevent another WW1-style-stalemate from happening.
And finally, we will always owe a great debt of gratitude to the French, because as much as we might like to think we licked the British on our own, the reality is that without the intervention of France, we never would have won our independence from England.
I think most Americans understand the French contribution to our nation’s start.
I think we enjoy our love/hate affair with the French.
They are kind of like that know-it-all uncle everyone has, he always thanks you for your time but he’s also quick to let you know he’s seen it all before you and done it all before you and even though you know a lot of what he says has wisdom in it you just wish he wasn’t such a twat about it….
Sadly, I have to disagree with your first statement. Most Americans now can barely spell history, let alone understand it. It would do us well to bring back real history in schools, but I don’t see that happening.
Deaths in Wars
WW1, US 116,708; France 1,357,000 :: military
WW2, US 416,800 military 1,700 civilian ; France 200,000 military, 350,000 civilian
Vietnam, US 58,286 ; France 75,581 :: military
Numbers from Wiki and other places.
About 30% of all French military dead in WW1 happened in Verdun in less than a year. Between 300,000 and 500,000 French soldiers died at Verdun. Between 280,000 and 430,000 German soldiers died at Verdun.