Posted on 06/07/2015 8:31:45 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
France helped birth this nation of free men.
That's why we went back to Europe twice.
The only engine available for the original Hermoine, came from a couple of the ship’s boats. They would take a line from the bows, station ahead and row, row, row. It was slow.
This is perhaps just a story, but I seem to recall reading that Lafayette had soil from Bunker Hill taken back to France so that it could be used for his burial when the time came.
That is correct. I posted something about it a while ago. I don’t know when or where you read it, but Lafayette did request that he be buried in dirt from Bunker Hill and his request was carried out. It might also be interesting to know that the American Flag is always flown at Lafayette’s grave site in Paris and was not removed even during the years of the German occupation of Paris during the Second World War.Healso varied the way he signed his name...sometimes LaFayette and sometimes Lafayette. He was an extraordinary man.
The original idea of supporting America against Great Britain was hatched by Louis XV’s Minister of War. Louis liked the idea as a way of weakening Britain but died before doing anything about it. Louis XVI eventually succumbed to the arguments of Franklin, Lafayette and others but Lafayette supported the American cause with his own money and men before the French King did.
” It was a battle a young America was losing — the battle for independence.”
For whatever odd reason I read that line in the voice of the guy who narrates the Ken Burns Documentaries.
You’re right.
I have always felt it was Truman’s fault. If he had let MacArthur loose in Korea there probably wouldn’t have been a Vietnam for Johnson to micromanage. At any rate, the biggest boondoggle of all was getting involved in the United Nations and especially their “police actions.”.
French Forests are magnificent. They do not lack for fine timber.
Awesome. But they need to replace the Napoleonic tricolor with the Bourbon solid white naval ensign for authenticity.
Pretty much.
Truman fought “not to lose”, instead of fighting to win.
Hasn’t that been the problem since Korea? Vietnam only exasperated those who wanted to win while the cowards like Kerry were promoted into high positions and have been honored for their treason ever since.
Although I worked for Eisenhower’s reelection, I have never forgiven him for his betrayal of Patton. I think our demise as warriors started with Eisenhower because he became too “anglicized.” Maybe I should say “anglified,” or maybe you’re right and it started with Truman.
Truman’s little hatmaker ego couldn’t stand someone who could bury him in intelligence. MacArthur and Patton were the best we had and they were both sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. IMHO P.C. didn’t start yesterday.
Magnificent.
I concur that the French were not a dominant fleet at the time. Fortunately, de Grasse got into the Chesapeake before the British and he had superior numbers. After the British were roughed up they went back to New York and returned with a bigger fleet - arriving two days after the surrender.
Thanks for posting. Beautiful ship and terrific replica!
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