France Planning D-Day Commemorations

AP via Rocky Mountain Telegram ^ | 10/21/03 | unattributed

[IowaHawk]

PARIS (AP)--To honor the soldiers who waded ashore, fought and died on Normandy's beaches, France is planning commemorations and inviting world leaders for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

The commemorations will offer France and its World War II allies, including the United States, a chance to mark their historical ties a year after another war--in Iraq--badly strained their relations.

``These commemorations should be as splendid as possible,'' said Hamlaoui Mekachera, the French war veterans minister, at a planning meeting Monday for next year's anniversary of the June 6, 1944, invasion that led to the end of Nazi rule over France.

``Operation Overlord,'' the code name for the Allied invasion of occupied France, will be marked with a ceremony at Arromanches, a Normandy town between two of the beaches where soldiers came ashore: Omaha and Gold. Allied forces broke through Hitler's fortifications and turned the tide of the war, beginning the liberation of Europe.

French President Jacques Chirac is inviting heads of state and government to the June 6 commemoration, though Mekachera's office said Tuesday it was too early to confirm who will attend.

``We hope that these solemn ceremonies will recall the naval, airborne, air and land dimensions of Operation Overlord,'' Mekachera said. ``We hope most of all that veterans are honored. We are counting, in effect, on a strong participation from our Allies.''

[IowaHawk]

"Our allies..." HA HAHA HA HEE HEHE HAHAHAHA HAHAhahah ... ha heh heh... heh.. BWAHAHA HAHA HAHAHA

[ChewedGum]

Unbelievable. France holds untenable diplomatic positions that hurt their own country just to spite the U.S. And this will patch things over?

Gum

[XJarhead]

Bush should go, and then avoid any personal meetings with Chirac. Honor the dead, and insult the French.

[Broadside Joe]

Can you say pandering? I'm sorry, our people must be honored but this is really cheap.

[IowaHawk]

HAHA HAHAHAHAAA stop! stop, ohmigod it's killing me... ho...ho... haha heh... oooh, hooboy....

"Our allies"

BWAHAHA HAHA HAHA HAHAHAHAH HAHA HAHAHAHAH HO HAHAHAHA

[Bonaparte]

As far as I'm concerned, the French are wasting their time. They can crawl to us on their bellies and beg our forgiveness first. Until then, I do not know them.

[MediaMole]

Meanwhile, the locals are busy "honoring" allied war dead...

More British war graves vandalised

French plea as cemetery defaced

[SF Republican]

Whom does he mean by "our allies" the Germans?

[SengirV]

Let me guess? They will honor the "fact" that only French soldiers freed their country from French boats from a secret French island where they amassed all their French troops before attacking. I mean then french can't actually acknowledge anyone else but themselves.

[A CA Guy]

Laissez les Français manger du fromage!

[OESY]

Finally, a chance to clean the gravestones!

[SAMWolf]

I almost wish we'd france to cram it.

[SAMWolf]

I'd rather see the US send reps to the 60th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. Let's honor an Ally who fought to free themselves.

[SAMWolf]

I say we stage another landing at Normandy, exhume our dead and bring them home. They deserve better than to be resting on french soil.

[Mo1]

The commemorations will offer France and its World War II allies, including the United States, a chance to mark their historical ties a year after another war--in Iraq--badly strained their relations.

Including??

Gosh golly gee aren't they so nice

IMO we should not show up for this