Thursday, Sep. 04, 2008

The French are grateful for Americans' help

By Staff Reports

Enquirer Herald

There are among us a pretty substantial number who believe that France is a nation of deadbeats, ingrates and those who look for us to come to their rescue when they are in trouble. I don't think this is true but everyone has his or her own frame of reference to believe such.

It is my view that these attitudes come about because of those who live in Paris, a giant city where there can be found almost anything one wants to believe.

I find myself thinking how inaccurate it would be for someone to think New York City was an example of people who live in South Carolina.

First of all, we must keep in mind that the French came to our aid in the American Revolution when most of the world was taking the side of Great Britain.

We will not examine too closely their own motives, but without their help we might never have become a free nation. From here we were thereby able to rescue them in both World Wars.

The Commandant of Allied Forces in World War I, after taking Paris from the Germans, stood in front of his tomb and said, "Lafayette, we are here." He clearly was recognizing the debt we owed France for their help in 1776.

I am personally aware of this gratitude in Normandy for the Americans who liberated them from the Nazis.

I have written of my father's brother who commanded the battalion that led the way in the recapture of St. Lo in July, 1944, which opened the gate to the assault on all of Normandy.

He was killed on the outskirts of the city and is buried nearby. They annually celebrate their liberation and the death of their Liberator.

This year was the 100th anniversary of his birth, and the Mayor of St. Lo made a special effort to get as many as possible of Tom's family there.

Those who were able to attend have told of the outpouring of gratitude from all the citizens.

Sally, Tom's daughter, was recognized on the streets from her picture and young people who were not even born in 1944, went out of their way to tell her how much her father meant to them.

Also, there were streets, a tremendous monument, and other public facilities named in memory of "Major Howie." "If your name was Howie it was all you needed in St. Lo."

That doesn't sound like a people who are ungrateful to me.

* * *

I hope many of you have the pleasure of a hummingbird feeder outside your breakfast room window. In spite of their beauty, they are mean little critters who do not like for others to be around. They fight like dive bombers and only seldom do you see more than one at the feeder (which has four troughs).

Lately we have seen as many as eight circling and fighting. We have never before seen that number at one time. They may be fueling up for their migration to South America (or wherever they go) but they really put on a show.

-- York resident H. Sanford Howie Jr. is executive director emeritus of the Episcopal Church Home for Children.