True story but kind of funny too!!!!

[bersaguy]

Since we have been discussing passports in one the  threads this story came to mind.     Back several years ago a bunch of teachers both active and retired where taking a trip across Europe. There was one relatively elderly gentleman on the trip and when they reached France the older gentleman was looking through his bag for his passport. The Frenchman at the gate was growing very irritated with the older gentleman and he said you should have had your passport ready. The older gentleman said he was sorry and again the  gate keeper repeated that he should have know he would need a passport to enter France as that has always been a requirement. Finally the old man looked up at the gate guard and said well last time I was in France was 1941 on a beach and funny thing is I could not find a Frenchman anywhere to show a passport to back then. The gate guard got very quiet and calmly waited while the old gentleman found his passport. Complete attitude change took place. Funny how things are forgotten till they are brought back to someone attention huh!!!! I read that and I had to laugh because a buddy of mine happen to know the old gentleman that was on the trip.  

[Guest TankerHC]

There is only one problem with the story. We didn't land on any French Beaches in 1941. But that's ok. I heard this story a while back and saw it confirmed with names on a WWII Forum full of bomber pilots. Just a history date thing.

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[bersaguy]

There is only one problem with the story. We didn't land on any French Beaches in 1941. But that's ok. I heard this story a while back and saw it confirmed with names on a WWII Forum full of bomber pilots. Just a history date thing.

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Yea, I may have the dates wrong but I was drawing it up from memory and mine ain't all that good any more but I wanted to bring it up because I thought it was kind of funny when he told that guy at the gate that he could not find a Frenchman anywhere at the time kind of rubbing his nose it the fact that American's liberated France in WWII. Now with that said I do have a lot of respect for the people in France. Has anyone ever looked on line or been to France and seen how nice and neat and clean they keep the American military cemeteries up over there. They are kept in pristine condition.................jmho 

[Guest TankerHC]

Yea, I may have the dates wrong but I was drawing it up from memory and mine ain't all that good any more but I wanted to bring it up because I thought it was kind of funny when he told that guy at the gate that he could not find a Frenchman anywhere at the time kind of rubbing his nose it the fact that American's liberated France in WWII. Now with that said I do have a lot of respect for the people in France. Has anyone ever looked on line or been to France and seen how nice and neat and clean they keep the American military cemeteries up over there. They are kept in pristine condition.................jmho

Yea I was just nitpicking. Still trying to see if Powells thing about the small piece of property to bury our dead is true. Im convinced this is.

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[bersaguy]

I could not make up my mind which pictures to choose so just posted the link of Military Cemeteries in France so folks can make up their own minds on subject.......................jmho

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=american+military+cemeteries+in+france&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=958cU5-WHobyyAH4ooCYDA&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1152&bih=675

Edited March 9, 2014 by bersaguy

[Guest TankerHC]

I could not make up my mind which pictures to choose so just posted the link of Military Cemeteries in France so folks can make up their own minds on subject.......................jmho

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=american+military+cemeteries+in+france&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=958cU5-WHobyyAH4ooCYDA&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1152&bih=675

 

That part we know is true. The part I was talking about was his addressing the Archbishop of Canterbury. Found it, and it didn't happen. WHat he was actually doing when he made a statement similar to the Archbishop of Canterbury Urban Legend quote, which is used by a lot of Political Organizations was making a case for the campaign against Iraq in the Worlld Economic Foorum in Switzerland and what he actually said was this.

 

"There is nothing in American experience or in American political life or in our culture that suggests we want to use hard power. But what we have found over the decades is that unless you do have hard power -- and here I think you're referring to military power -- then sometimes you are faced with situations that you can't deal with.

I mean, it was not soft power that freed Europe. It was hard power. And what followed immediately after hard power? Did the United States ask for dominion over a single nation in Europe? No. Soft power came in the Marshall Plan. Soft power came with American GIs who put their weapons down once the war was over and helped all those nations rebuild. We did the same thing in Japan.

So our record of living our values and letting our values be an inspiration to others I think is clear. And I don't think I have anything to be ashamed of or apologize for with respect to what America has done for the world. [Applause.]

We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own, you know, to seek our own lives in peace, to live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works."

Edited March 9, 2014 by TankerHC