Some Good Frenchmen
I know we all like, make that love, to bash the French people but having toured Normandy, walked the beaches and visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach (where they filmed Private Ryan) I can tell you that they truly do honor the sacrifices of those who freed them from opression and occupation.
I’ve been to our own military cemeteries here, as well as the battlefields of Lexington Green and Bunker (Breeds) Hill as well as the U.S.S. Constitution, U.S.S. Massachusetts, etc. and all of it together pales when compared to what I saw and felt in my heart in Normandy. Their respect and gratitude is shown not only in the beauty and solemnity of the cemetery (maintained by the US) but the preservation of battlefields such as Pointe Du Hoc, which is so literally untouched that it’s still pockmarked with shellholes or Gold Beach, with it’s breakwaters still afloat or washed ashore and also of fortifications such as Longines Battery and others that still exist.
If you ever get a chance to visit Normandy, do so, and you’ll be happy that you did.
Also, when evaluating war, recall that the Normandy Invasion was a cluster-f*ck extrordinaire—a bit of an exaggeration, but very little seemed to go as planned. It was saved because a bunch of 19/20 year olds got it together after landing.
It helped that, unlike the enemy, we didn’t have to call FDR or Winston to ask permission to do the obvious.
When I was in France in 2001 my wallet was stolen. In it were my passport, all my credit cards, and my driver’s license. Thankfully, I had my cash in another pocket. The French police officer that filed the report was very helpful and offered me train fare to the US Embassy. He also explained that the thief was after my cash, not my credit cards because they would be hard to use, and that it is far easier to make new fake passpsorts than it is to alter a used ones.
I went to the embassy and I had a new passport with in an hour, and new credit cards on the way via fed-ex that arrived 2 days later.
My wallet was found on the street in front of a bank and turned in to one of the tellers. I had a business card with my e-mail address on it inside and when I got back to the states a week later, there was an e-mail from the teller letting me know that he had my wallet. As the police officer stated the thief wanted cash as all the cards, DL and passport were there. The teller sent to me at his personal expense.
I stopped and asked people for directions and all were friendly and helpful. I experienced no anti-american sentiment at all. In fact, it seemed people were going out of their way to prove the opposite.
And don’t forget that great statue (standing on Ellis Island) that they gave us…
I was in France (Paris) in 1982 - by the last day I was standing in a line and sort of raised my voice - firm not shouting - and said (in English) the next person who gets in front of me or pushes me, will find out exactly what an ugly American really is. I made it to the order spot very quickly and unruffled. It was absolutely the worst trip of all that I ever took in any of my travels throughout Germany, Austria and other small countries thereabouts.
They were rude and refused to assist us in any way possible - this was a ‘package’ deal - every single person except one couple complained and we all got half our money refunded. I still have the tax refund check - as I could get no one to cash it for me in Germany (it is one of the reasons we call it American Excuse - which was the Army bank over there).
I am sure outside of the cities - alot of French people do appreciate what America has done for them and Americans - but that is not the attitude projected in the big city of Paris.
Good news… I needed some.
Posted by Hammer
07/03/2007 at 06:23 AM
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