At 10 a.m. this morning, bells all over France rang to celebrate the end of WW2 seventy years ago. When I heard them, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the tears flowing down the cheeks of men and women on that day as many said a private ‘thank you’ for the return of normalcy, whatever that would look like in a new era. It would never be the same for them, or for our parents either. We spoke with a woman who was a young girl in 1945 and spent summers here. She told us about watching the columns of Nazi tanks fleeing from the Allied armies advancing in Italy toward the end of the war. The young soldiers took a break to dive into the sea, then headed North to face the U.S. Third Army. Most of them would rather have dropped their rifles and walked back home, but that wasn’t an option. It wasn’t for our boys either.
In nearby St. Jean – Cap Ferrat, vintage U.S. Army jeeps and French men and women in both American and French uniforms of the period busily set up sand bags, old machine guns, and displays of wartime radios. I saw one distinguished man with colonel’s birds on his collar. I was about to salute him and say something in English, when he resumed his conversation with a friend in French. There remains a very strong bond of friendship between this country and the United States, deeper than we sometimes realize. I hope we don’t forget it. They helped us gain our independence. We returned the favor twice, in 1918 and again in 1944. For the first third of the 19th century many leading American families sent their kids to Paris to receive part of their education. We are still benefiting from that exchange of ideas. Vive la France; vive the United States of America.
Sorry, I can be a sentimental sap sometimes. I can barely walk past a memorial to the dead of the many wars without a tear welling up. I was a soldier once, but I have learned a few lessons since then. I’m sure we all have. Some wars are required. That does not keep them all from being incredibly painful.
Tonight, raise a glass to your grandparents, your parents, and to yourselves. Great nations exist because of the willingness of normal people to take the brave and right path, not just when great events require it, but all of the time. Here is to all of us! Cheers!
