Posted on 07/30/2009 5:09:28 PM PDT by woofie
JFK’S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60’s when DeGaule decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaule said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.
Rusk responded “does that include those who are buried here?
DeGaule did not respond.
You could have heard a pin drop
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.
He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.’
You could have heard a pin drop.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying ‘Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?’
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: ‘Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?’
You could have heard a pin drop.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?’
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, ‘Maybe it’s because the Brit’s, Canadians, Aussie’s and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.’
You could have heard a pin drop.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
“You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
“Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.”
The American said, ‘The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.”
“Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !”
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ”Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
My husband I just sat here and read each one-wonderful short stories. The kind that make ya wish you could have been there.
You said — I cannot vouch for all of them but surely some are true
—
It doesn’t matter because they get the point across... :-)
Great stuff, woofie. These days all I can hear is spin and I wish it would stop.
Wonderful, I have read some before but they are great.
Now days we each open up our computers, look to see what new horror Obama is doing and - you can hear thousands of pins drop!
Thanks!
Incidentally if someone doesn't understand, this reflects exactly why Barack Obama, as Pew reports, is a golden-boy across the Ocean.
Me too and some of them probably are.
.
Great stories potlatch!
The Frenchies died after WWI
I have got them in email before too, they are worth sending out. Would love to have been there when some of those things were said, lol.
.
I can compare it with Sgt. Crowley sitting with Gates and Obama
Delusions of grandeur and power and sophistication
Tales of how they built the pyramids - another jokeroo!
Especially the one by Dean Rusk (even if it's not true - but I hope it is.) In fact I always thought that Dean Rusk was a halfway decent Secretary of State. A rarity for a Democrat. He certainly would run circles around the current occupant of that seat.
Ah well, I can’t think of a comment to that, lol.
"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." —General George S. Patton
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." —Norman Schwartzkopf
"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure." —Jacques Chirac. Replied Rush Limbaugh: "As far as France is concerned, you're right."
"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it." —John McCain, U.S. Senator
.
If -
They have “slud” a long way down from the top of that pyramid
I always say “What have you done lately” (since you were kicked out of Spain)
LOL, I have totally lost your ‘train of thought’.
Do you have a ‘train of thought’? I think my ‘pin has dropped’...!
In the Spring of 2004, while on a business visit in Austin to the Texas Historical Commission ("THC"), I also attended the interment in the Texas State Cemetery of the lone French sailor whose remains were recovered when the THC excavated the wreck of LaSalle'e ship, La Belle, in Matagorda Bay.
After all the Texans had had their say, France's Ambassador to the Uniterd States took the mike and officially thanked us on behalf of his government for so honoring his countyman. When he had finished, he turned from the mike to leave -- but then he stopped, returned to the mike, and said,
"NO. I have more to say."
"I have thanked you on behalf of my government; I have done my duty. Now I would speak for myself, a Frenchman. I know there is tension between our governments. In Washington, I eat at places where no French wine is served, and I drive by places where only "Freedom Fries" are sold."
"But know this: the People of France have not forgotten what Americans did for us! In a few weeks, it will be the sixtieth anniversary of the sixth of June, 1944. On that day, watch us closely -- for the grave of every American Serviceman who is buried in the soil of France has been adopted by a French family.
"On that day, My family will visit the grave of Sergeant ....... who is buried near our home. We will have flowers in our hands, [here, his voice started to break] and I will be there, with a prayer in my soul, and with tears in my eyes -- in heartfelt gratitude for what you, our American friends, have sacrificed for me and for my countrymen."
"The People of France will never forget! Thank you! Merci!"
I was there.
You could have heard a pin drop.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
United
...not easy to proofread a blurry screen...
“The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch
and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens
of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink
little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting
inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey I don’t know.”
~ P.J O’Rourke (1989)
...just sharing an unexpected, but touching, personal experience...
I like that Thanks
I have been to France several times ...no one was rude to me ....
“où est la Burger King”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.