Flying Tiger
06-06-2004, 08:32 PM
France is one huge graveyard.
That was my first impression traveling around the whole country.
Eleven years ago, my dad and I visited the American cemetary at Normandy, and the invasion beaches for the 49th aniversary of D day. We wanted to avoid the 50th's aniversary crowds & ceremonies that would invade France the next year.
My dad was a WWII pilot, not involved in the invasion, but he lost a brother, my uncle on D day at Omaha Beach.
We went to find his grave at the American cemetary,, and as we stepped off the bus,, there it was first grave in front of us. We stepped right on it.
Dads first trip there to visit it.
I invited a friend Chic Chemingus to fly over and join us.
Chic was a paratrooper that was dropped several miles inland on D day,
He later lost his right leg at the battle of the Bulge.
His first trip back to France since WWII.
Chic has some teriffic stories.
I rented a WWII jeep, and my dad took the wheel,, and we drove around,, no synco 1st gear, a margarita blender of a transmission. An excellent way to scratch the surface of the area and get close to the historic sites,, and local people involved that are still alive.
Cool watching the old man handle the Jeep. He was career Army and right at home in a Jeep, and had been in the army 8 years before the war began.
An interesting thing we discovered driving around the battlefields and invasion beaches that ya never hear about is tradition at a little church near by.
Every morning, 3 little French school girls step on the altar, and read the names of 9 US servicemen killed on D Day. They do this ritual 365 days a year since the invasion. When they eventually read all the men killed, they start the list over, 9 different each day . The American names rolling out off the altar with their little French accents.
Just as cute as can be in their French style school uniforms,, sweet as sugar,, a tradition carried on by the French that ya never hear about.
I found the French to be pretty good,, the battlefields and points of historic interest are well marked.
Chic pointed out an American Sherman tank that had the rear blown outta it by a German 88. He swore it's been sitting in the same spot that he saw it 49 years earlier. The locals concurred.
When we returned home, Chic gave me a clock he took outta a German tank during the war, it's still blood splattered.
You can catch Chic driving round Simi Valley. He spends his time helping animals in distress,, and ocassionally stops off at the VFW for a slow drink.
A real character.
Dad lives in Cool Calif, and spends his days involved in conservative causes, Duck hunting and reloading.
That was my first impression traveling around the whole country.
Eleven years ago, my dad and I visited the American cemetary at Normandy, and the invasion beaches for the 49th aniversary of D day. We wanted to avoid the 50th's aniversary crowds & ceremonies that would invade France the next year.
My dad was a WWII pilot, not involved in the invasion, but he lost a brother, my uncle on D day at Omaha Beach.
We went to find his grave at the American cemetary,, and as we stepped off the bus,, there it was first grave in front of us. We stepped right on it.
Dads first trip there to visit it.
I invited a friend Chic Chemingus to fly over and join us.
Chic was a paratrooper that was dropped several miles inland on D day,
He later lost his right leg at the battle of the Bulge.
His first trip back to France since WWII.
Chic has some teriffic stories.
I rented a WWII jeep, and my dad took the wheel,, and we drove around,, no synco 1st gear, a margarita blender of a transmission. An excellent way to scratch the surface of the area and get close to the historic sites,, and local people involved that are still alive.
Cool watching the old man handle the Jeep. He was career Army and right at home in a Jeep, and had been in the army 8 years before the war began.
An interesting thing we discovered driving around the battlefields and invasion beaches that ya never hear about is tradition at a little church near by.
Every morning, 3 little French school girls step on the altar, and read the names of 9 US servicemen killed on D Day. They do this ritual 365 days a year since the invasion. When they eventually read all the men killed, they start the list over, 9 different each day . The American names rolling out off the altar with their little French accents.
Just as cute as can be in their French style school uniforms,, sweet as sugar,, a tradition carried on by the French that ya never hear about.
I found the French to be pretty good,, the battlefields and points of historic interest are well marked.
Chic pointed out an American Sherman tank that had the rear blown outta it by a German 88. He swore it's been sitting in the same spot that he saw it 49 years earlier. The locals concurred.
When we returned home, Chic gave me a clock he took outta a German tank during the war, it's still blood splattered.
You can catch Chic driving round Simi Valley. He spends his time helping animals in distress,, and ocassionally stops off at the VFW for a slow drink.
A real character.
Dad lives in Cool Calif, and spends his days involved in conservative causes, Duck hunting and reloading.