Posted on 05/30/2004 7:03:38 AM PDT by knighthawk
French historians are making a last-ditch effort to record the testimony of those who lived through the Nazi occupation and the liberation.
People in Normandy in northern France who're old enough to remember the allied invasion during World War II are being encouraged to come forward and share their memories.
Ahead of the 60th anniversary of D-Day in June, towns and villages across the region are holding a series of meetings.
Historians say it's vital to record and preserve the testimony of those who lived through the Nazi occupation and the liberation before it's too late.
Bernard Dubois stands up and introduces himself to the 550 people gathered in the meeting hall at St Lo. He's 74 but says he remembers the events leading up to the liberation as if they happened yesterday.
Mr Dubois was 14 when the allies invaded Normandy and furiously bombarded the town centre. While he took refuge in a neighbour's cellar, his family's house was destroyed. Bernard recalls searching for his mother, father and two sisters after the attack:
"I ran into my parents' maid. I asked 'where are my parents?' She told me my mother had come home with my sisters and said 'if we're going to die, better that we die together'. The maid went to look for me. By doing that she saved her life."
Bernard fled to the countryside. It was weeks before he was liberated and learned that his family had all been killed inside the house.
"A lot of people can't speak about their experiences. It's too hard for them because of the horrors of war. They're traumatised."
Radio recordings Historians like Christophe Prime are on hand to put these stories in context. The meetings are recorded and will be broadcast on local radio in Normandy later this summer.
"For a long time, historians talked more about military history. Now we try to have more information about daily life of civilians," Mr Prime adds.
During the meeting, old film from the Normandy invasion is shown, including General Eisenhower's rallying call to allied troops. St Lo lies several miles inland from the beaches where American troops landed. It was only liberated after several weeks of heavy fighting. Ninety percent of the town was destroyed by the bombardments, a deliberate tactic to prevent the Germans from receiving reinforcements.
Painful memories Several people talk about how the Americans were greeted by local people. Alfred Vaudeville was 20 and lived on a farm used as a makeshift hospital by the Germans. He remembers being offered a cigarette by a wounded American prisoner his own age. The American died that night.
"I was ashamed, ashamed. This boy had come 8,000 kilometres to liberate me, and now he was dead. I wasn't ashamed of France, but I was ashamed of myself."
The people listening show their appreciation. By the end of the evening some twenty speakers have testified.
Listened to at last The audience at St Lo was five times larger than at another commemoration ten years ago, and included several high school students. Christine Dejou from the Caen Memorial Museum which is helping to organise these meetings is amazed at the response:
"Our grandfathers always used to say 'remember, during the war…,' but you didn't want to know, you're 20 years old. The children didn't care about those stories; they wanted to rebuild their country. And then perhaps you have to wait for another generation to begin to hear what they're saying, to be attentive."
At the main D-day commemorations, the focus will be on world leaders and veterans who took part in the fighting. But these meetings across the region have given ordinary people the chance to give their personal accounts of the extraordinary times they lived through, 60 years ago.
Ping
"I was ashamed, ashamed. This boy had come 8,000 kilometres to liberate me, and now he was dead. I wasn't ashamed of France, but I was ashamed of myself."
I am confused by this. I suspect the translation of 'ashamed' is incorrect. Someone want to take a shot at interpretting this? Why would he feel shame?... Lack of courage?
bump
"Radio recordings Historians like Christophe Prime are on hand to put these stories in context..."
I hope this project stays on the objective side of truth, but you've got to beware of these guys. Personal tales of horror and gratitude from ordinary folks can easily be turned into yet another anti-American festival when filtered through the 'experts' in media and academics.
He did not fight for his own country, it took an American Boy that had came, fought, and died to free a people and liberate that, which he would not.
I too would have been ashamed, to this very day.
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