Skip to comments.
France meets USMC
an email
| 12/03/02
Posted on 12/03/2002 6:26:56 PM PST by Sungirl
I don't know how true this is, but it makes a good story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
France Meets the USMC -- or -- A U. S. Marine in Bosnia
A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Bosnia):
A French army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he thought we (Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were going to provoke a war. He said if such a thing happens, we wouldn't be able to count of the support of France.
I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's rescue in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface at some point in the near future anyway.
That is why France is a third-rate military power with a socialist economy and a bunch of wimps for soldiers.
I additionally told him that America, being a nation of deeds and action, not words, would do whatever it had to do, and France's support was only for show anyway. Just like in ALL NATO exercises, the US would shoulder 85% of the burden, as evidenced by the fact that the French officer was shopping in the American PX, and not the other way around.
He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he would like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King and beat his behind in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, thus demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight in him than the average Frenchman.
He called me a barbarian cowboy and walked away in a huff.
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Mary Beth Johnson
LtCol, USMC
TOPICS: Editorial; Miscellaneous; Unclassified; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: france; letter; usmc
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-139 next last
1
posted on
12/03/2002 6:26:56 PM PST
by
Sungirl
To: Sungirl
You Go Girl!!
To: Sungirl
You don't mess with Mary Beth!
3
posted on
12/03/2002 6:31:13 PM PST
by
Lady Jag
To: Sungirl
I don't know how true this is, but it makes a good story.
Story or not...it's true.
(and I say this freely admitting that I've met some very nice French folks through the years...)
4
posted on
12/03/2002 6:32:42 PM PST
by
VOA
To: Sungirl
I knew that French officers were fairly useless from my NATO experience.I had no idea they were insane enough to pick a fight with the USMC!LOL
5
posted on
12/03/2002 6:34:21 PM PST
by
sarasmom
To: Sungirl
LOL, a woman! I love it!
To: VOA
Kick A$$!!!
To: Sungirl
ROTFLMAO!!!!
GO USMC WOMEN!!!!!!
8
posted on
12/03/2002 6:37:28 PM PST
by
nhoward14
To: Sungirl
I don't believe that the frenchman [lower case on purpose] was shopping.
I believe that he was loking for someone to accept his surrender.
9
posted on
12/03/2002 6:37:45 PM PST
by
sport
To: Sungirl
Reminds me of the joke where a frenchman gets uppity with a Marine, and the Marine says "Do you speak German?" to which the Frenchman replies "What?? NO! I speak French!" and the American says "You're WELCOME!"
10
posted on
12/03/2002 6:42:10 PM PST
by
lawgirl
To: sport
Run away yew Freench pig-dog yew, or I shall taunt yew agen. To slightly misquote Monty Python.
11
posted on
12/03/2002 6:42:13 PM PST
by
Pilsner
To: Sungirl
Urban Legend
12
posted on
12/03/2002 6:42:41 PM PST
by
dts32041
To: Sungirl
He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he would like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King and beat his behind in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, thus demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight in him than the average Frenchman. Kick some Frenchie butt, Mary Beth!
13
posted on
12/03/2002 6:43:25 PM PST
by
Catspaw
To: Sungirl
There's nothing sexier than a woman with a pistol strapped around her waste. Give those frogs hell.
14
posted on
12/03/2002 6:44:54 PM PST
by
appeal2
To: Sungirl
Great zinger at the end. If it isn't true, it oughta be! LOL.
15
posted on
12/03/2002 6:45:17 PM PST
by
txzman
To: Sungirl
My wife grew up in France. Funny, she doesn't like the French either.
To: txzman
Not true. Think about it. There's a name on the email. Her career would be toast.
To: txzman
Yeah..it makes you feel good whether it's true or not.
18
posted on
12/03/2002 6:48:07 PM PST
by
Sungirl
To: AppyPappy
Aren't they allowed to write letters with their names?
19
posted on
12/03/2002 6:49:04 PM PST
by
Sungirl
To: Sungirl
As a former Marine, I want to pass on this point about the debt that France owes our country.
Excerpt from: "Bush turns away from the weaklings of Europe"
The Times (London) 2/19/02 Irwin Stelzer
"Americas special relationship with Britain is often contrasted with its ambiguous relationship with France. The story making the rounds is a reminder of Lyndon Johnsons response to then-President Charles de Gaulles demand that America remove its soldiers from French soil.
At Johnsons instruction, his Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, inquired whether the demand applied to those buried in military cemeteries in France. Michael Barone, one of Washingtons leading pundits, says that Rusk once told this story to a young Donald Rumsfeld. No one doubts that the Defense Secretary remembers it."
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-139 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson