[fso301]

When I was a boy, I watched in wide eyed amazement similar 16mm color footage taken by a veteran. He's long dead and our families have been out of contact a long time but I have often wondered if that footage still exists.

Many GIs who were photo enthusiasts probably had 16mm color film cameras with them in all theaters of the war but never realized the historic significance and allowed it to deteriorate over time.

[rarestia]

The joy on the faces of those French citizens toward the end is unmistakeable happiness. Knowing that America and Britain, among others, were there to protect them and knowing that the Nazis would never have returned must’ve been incredibly moving and overwhelming after their own country’s military lay down their arms against the Germans.

That sort of happiness is a distant memory for most, I believe. There’s not been a definitive end to a war since WWII. I believe America, and the world, are so shell shocked that nothing surprises us anymore.