UNITED STATES PASSPORTS IN FRANCE.
At a French airport, a group of American retired teachers recently went to
France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, was part of
the tour group. At French Customs, he took a few extra minutes to locate
his passport in his carry-on luggage while he was in front of the French
Customs officer.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the French Customs officer
asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. The French
Customs officer responded nastily; "Then you should know enough to have
your passport ready."
The American gentleman replied; "The last time I was here, I didn't have
to show it."
"Impossible!" barked the French Customs officer; "Americans always have to
show your US passports upon arrival in France "
The elderly American 83-year old gentleman gave the Frenchman a long hard
and fierce look. Then he quietly explained; "Well, when I came ashore at
Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find
any Frenchmen to show it to."