ON TO GRENOBLE
| On 22 August elements of the 143rd Infantry
entered Grenoble, lovely university city nestled beneath the French Alps. "Welcomel" shouted the town’s newspaper on
the first page.
"Yesterday, without warning, we saw them
suddenly rising up at the far end of the Cours Jean-Jaures ... those well-built boys in
khaki, those strong, calm fellows who in 1918 had shared with the Poilus in horizon blue
all the sufferings of battle, all the joys of victory.
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| The mademoiselles of Gap rewarded their liberators smilingly.
Monsieu L'Americain GI was delighted. |
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| Radio Team stops along the way. |
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"At first no one dared to believe it. The
Americans? They are here? Already? At last, astride their funny little jeeps, perched high
on their heels, reminding one of the far west, piloting their General Sherman tanks,
henceforth so well-known along the Route Napoleon. "The crowd massed all along this fine avenue, just as it used to
do in the good old days of the Tour de France. What a glorious Tour de France is
this—the wildly enthusiastic crowd, which shouted its welcome to the liberating
troops of the FFI, triumphant with its tri-colors waving in all the streets of the town,
found fresh vibrant voices to shout an enthusiastic welcome to the big attractive giants.
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| "Welcome to you all! You who have come from
the distant provinces of Illinois, Ohio, Alabama, or Texas.... Welcome to the citizens of
New York and San Francisco, you all who have come after a stage in our North Africa to
help France get rid of a nightmare which has lasted four interminable years, and to aid
her to rediscover her true soul. "Welcome
to Grenoble, our town. Welcome to the Dauphine’, our province!"
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GRENOBLE GREETS—Grenoble, only fifty miles
from Geneva, was gay in her hour of liberation. Throughout the Alpine valley the bells of
the university tolled and reverberated. GI’s were fascinated by the Swiss influence
on the city’s architecture. |
| GALLOP TO GRENOBLE - Click on the map to view a larger image. |
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