Those of you who have been 'following-along' with me here for any considerable length of time .. assuming your memories are relatively intact and fairly functional .. you may recall that I have mentioned my friend Clement-from-France and his family .. in a number of posts.
I met Clement in Ladakh .. a large geographic area located in the extreme North of India .. in mid-August of 2008.
The below photo was taken with Clement in Royal Oak Michigan last July of 2013 when Clement and his family visited Patti and I as they began their major and on-going trip to South America.
Clement has a phenomenal web site that you can easily access by clicking-onto the LINK TO - CLEMENT'S BLOG on the right of this post.
"And Captain what exactly does any-of-this have to do with our D-Day .. the 6th of June 1944?" /s/ 'Zilla
I am so happy that you asked me 'Zilla!
The D-Day landing came ashore on the beaches of Normandy France .. Clement's homeland.
In response to my post dated 6 June 2014 about D-Day and the 70th Anniversary thereof .. Clement sent to me an e-mail that DEEPLY touched my very soul! Allow me to share it with you (with Clement's full permission) first in Clement's native language French followed by the Google Translation into English.
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I met Clement in Ladakh .. a large geographic area located in the extreme North of India .. in mid-August of 2008.
The below photo was taken with Clement in Royal Oak Michigan last July of 2013 when Clement and his family visited Patti and I as they began their major and on-going trip to South America.
Clement has a phenomenal web site that you can easily access by clicking-onto the LINK TO - CLEMENT'S BLOG on the right of this post.
"And Captain what exactly does any-of-this have to do with our D-Day .. the 6th of June 1944?" /s/ 'Zilla
I am so happy that you asked me 'Zilla!
The D-Day landing came ashore on the beaches of Normandy France .. Clement's homeland.
In response to my post dated 6 June 2014 about D-Day and the 70th Anniversary thereof .. Clement sent to me an e-mail that DEEPLY touched my very soul! Allow me to share it with you (with Clement's full permission) first in Clement's native language French followed by the Google Translation into English.
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J'ai été particulièrement heureux de lire l'article de Cap sur le 70e anniversaire du Jour J.
Je me souviens des longues heures passées à écouter mes parents raconter les moments vécus pendant la guerre et après le débarquement.
Lors de leur avancée, les Alliés sont restés bloqués plusieurs semaines au bord de la Moselle, affluent du Rhin.
La maison familiale à Florange, près de Thionville, avait été choisie par les soldats américains pour installer une batterie antiaérienne... au fond du jardin, à une vingtaine de mètres de la maison. Nous étions tout près de la gare et l'endroit était parfait pour protéger les convois ferroviaires.
Un officier est venu demander à ma mère si elle voulait bien faire à manger pour ses hommes. Elle a accepté avec joie et cuisiné pour une quarantaine d'hommes pendant plusieurs semaines, les Allemands restant accrochés sur l'autre rive de la Moselle.
En échange de ce travail, les soldats ont fourni de la nourriture supplémentaire que ma mère a pu distribuer à tous nos voisins de la rue. Cela a été un grand réconfort pour tous et payé ma mère de la fatigue dûe à cette charge de travail supplémentaire.
Ma mère a été traitée avec respect et gentillesse par tous ces jeunes venus des USA. Elle nous en a toujours parlé avec chaleur !
Mes parents racontaient que les soldats riaient de voir ma grande soeur, née deux mois avant le Jour J, courrir dans son petit trotteur monté sur feutres qu'elle faisait glisser sur le parquet.
Le débarquement, ça a été la Libération.
Cela a signifié la Liberté pour nous tous. Et, malheureusement, beaucop de souffrance pour l'atteindre...
J'espère que la guerre, finalement, s'arrêtera partout dans le monde.
La Paix pourrait devenir la seule religion.
Clément OLINGER
Souvenirs de mes parents, Marguerite et Joseph OLINGER
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"What's that 'Zilla? You are not able to read French?"
Gotcha covered my friend!
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I was particularly pleased to read the article Cap on the 70th anniversary of D-Day I remember my parents spent listening to recount the moments lived during the war and after landing long hours. As they advanced, the Allies were trapped for several weeks along the Moselle, Rhine tributary. Home at Florange near Thionville, was chosen by the American soldiers to install an anti-aircraft battery ... in the garden, about twenty yards from the house. We were close to the railway station and the location was perfect for protecting rail convoys. An officer came to ask my mother if she would make room for his men. She gladly accepted and cooked for about forty men for several weeks, the Germans still hung on the other side of the Moselle. In exchange for this work, the soldiers provided extra food that my mother was able to distribute to all of our neighbors in the street. This was a great comfort to all and paid my mother fatigue due to this additional workload. My mother was treated with respect and kindness by all these young people from the USA. It we always spoke with warmth! My parents told the soldiers laughed to see my big sister, born two months before D-Day, running in his little walker mounted on felt it was dragging on the floor. Landing, it was liberation. This meant Freedom for us all. And, unfortunately, beaucop suffering to reach ... I hope that the war finally stops worldwide. Peace could become the only religion. Clement OLINGER
Memories of my parents, Joseph and Marguerite OLINGER
Memories of my parents, Joseph and Marguerite OLINGER
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As I read Clement's e-mail .. and as I re-read it again above .. I am teary and choked-up. Clement's parents LIVED the D-Day Invasion and the events that followed D-Day.
THANK YOU SO MUCH CLEMENT FOR SHARING THIS WITH ALL OF US.
Your Ally .. Cap ..
Thank you Cap for directing me to Clements comment Re: D-Day. I grew up with the after effects of the war and not until I walked the Camino de Santiago could I put it somewhat to rest. It is my Payer that we all live in harmony and tolerance.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for taking the time and for going-to-the-effort to read and to comment on this post. I can NOT possibly convey to anyone reading-along-here at how VERY DEEPLY Clement's comment touched my heart .. Cap
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