Good post, Darius. Well said.
I remember reading off and on over the years praise from individual US military personnel directed at the French military.
You can disagree with national policy all you want. But the French military is first rate. The Germans still talk about French artillery coordination in the first WW.
Final question. Who won WWI? The Hun? NO.
So as you say, US military praise for the French is not unheard.
Oh and the Union Civil war uniform was copied from the French. The Zouave uniforms were French. The tactics of the Day were French. Union officers could speak French. I could go on and on.