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| Our Italy Tour group has been
joined by those flying directly from the US to Nice, France, bringing our number to
twenty-three 36th Division Vets and eighteen family members. The first ceremonial event
took place at 1800 hours at the War Memorial of the city of Nice, France. Three members of
the 36th presented a wreath in honor of the war dead and Colonel Touboul laid a wreath in
the name of the First French Army "Rhine et Danube." "Taps," and the
national anthems of France and the United States were played for the one-hundred-fifty
attendees. At 1900 hours, an official awards ceremony was held at the Maison du Seminaire
in Nice. Colonel Touboul, Department President of the First French Army Association"
Rhin et Danube", decorated Gordon Rose, Morris Courington & Ray Wells with the
"Rhine et Danube Combat Medal," followed by French and US national anthems. In
attendance at the evening's meal honoring the 36th Division were ninety-two people. |
At 1000 hours, 23 April 1998, a memorial
ceremony was held at the Chapel of the Rhone American Military Cemetery located at
Draguignan, France in honor of the ninety-seven members of the 361 interred at the
cemetery. The Rhone American Military Cemetery is the only military cemetery in Southern
France and one of six WWII cemeteries located throughout France. Along with five military
cemeteries from WWI, the total number of American military cemeteries in France is eleven.
The land the cemeteries are on are actually owned by the United States and are maintained
beautifully. The Superintendents of each cemetery is a US Citizen.
The Deputy Mayor of Draguignan
gave an excellent address tracing the WWII efforts of the 36th to the seventy-five persons
in attendance. I think that it is most appropriate to include the translation of Deputy
Mayor Valids speech here. It certainly does show the feelings of the French people for the
36th Infantry Division.
"No
doubt this ceremony is an opportunity for me to acknowledge
the 36th Division veterans merit and it offers an exemplary
character and that is why I can appreciate the honor you do me
today when I have the privilege to welcome you. The men of the
36th Infantry Division as well as all the men who crossed the
Atlantic Ocean to fight in Europe, were moved by a collective
ambition which transcendental to any personal advantage
because this ambition was to serve the freedom of nations and
the future of the world. The men of the 36th Infantry Division
have the symbolization of the strong collective adventure
devoted to men's dignity, which was at stake and you had
pledged your faith to do it was nothing else than the capacity
of men to uphold freedom against enslavement |
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| Landing
on the coast of France under heavy Nazi
machine gun fire are these American soldiers,
shown just as they left the ramp of a Coast
Guard landing boat. |
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| Medics
helping injured soldier in France, 1944. Image
sources: Still Picture Branch. National
Archives at College Park, Maryland. |
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"Now I must say that as I am a Deputy Mayor and also
as I was for so many years an officer in the French Army, I do feel the greatest pleasure
to underline the perfect co-operation which existed as early as 1943 in Italy between the
famous French Expeditionary Corps of General Join and the American Forces of the Fifth
Army. Your 36th Division is all the more precious to our hearts, you landed on August 15th, 1944 at
the Dramont near St. Raphael before liberating such cities as Grenoble, Montelimar, Lyons, Remiremont in the
Vosges mountains and Haguau
in Alsace.
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| Some of the 36th
Vets on the left and on the right French Marines as Guard of Honor during the ceremonies
at the Monument to the 36th located on the beach where the 141st Regiment landed during
the Southern France Invasion. |
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French
Marine Honor Guard |
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"My dear friends, here is the
reason which makes me believe that your sadness in this holy burial ground is the one we
feel also. The City of Draguiganan, and France and Europe are forever indebted to you for
the respect you showed and for the memory you saved. It is obvious when you refer to a few
of the most glorious pages and at the same time the most deadly ones of the history of
WWII which were written by the 36th Division; for instance in December 1944 these heroic
soldiers fought the most bloody battles at Selestat, in early 1945 at
Oberhoffen, Rottrwiller, Herreslisheim and Drusenheim; in March 1945 they took part to the offensive
movement of the 7th Amy to surround 100,000 German soldiers. No wonder that such a bold
attitude may explain that the 36th Division took so many prisoners, among them many of the
Nazi dignitaries in May 1945 and those Nazis were to be condemned to death by the
International Tribunal in Nuremberg. We can't forget that the 36th Infantry Division has
had the longest period of fighting of WWII. Here is why, my dear friends, on behalf of the
Mayor of Draguignan, Christian Martin, I am so proud to be with you today for this
ceremony. This visit to the Rhone Cemetery, moving and friendly as it is, shows a vision
of the world and it honors the Veterans of the 36th Division and through them, the United
States of America".
Commander
John Willms of Riviera American Legion Post 5, offered a special memorial prayer for the
36th Division dead. Three Veterans of the Division presented a wreath as did the Mayor of
Draguignan. "Taps" was played as well as the National Anthems of France and the
United States. We were all invited to have lunch at the French Military Mess in Draguignan
with many of the French Officials and members of the American Legion Post. We then boarded
our bus to travel the few miles to the Dramont where the 36th Division made the beach
landing on the 15th of August 1944. |
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At 1500 hours a very impressive
ceremony commemorating the beach landing was conducted. Twenty-three 36th Division
Veterans were placed between the French Infantry Marine Honor Squad and the bugler and the
American Legion members. The Mayor of Saint Raphael gave an excellent address underscoring
the bravery and valor of the fighting men of the 36th Division. Commander John Willms of
Riviera Post 5 gave an address in English to over four hundred (400) spectators praising
the 36th and their war activities in Europe during WWII. Wreaths were presented by three
members of the 36th, the Mayor of Saint Raphael and the French Veterans Association of
Saint Raphael. Wayne Kirby, Leonard Knear and Merle McGinniss were decorated by the St.
Raphael Veterans Association. "Taps" and the French and US National Anthems were
played. The Mayor of Saint Raphael hosted a reception upon the conclusion reception where
we enjoyed some very fine French champagne and food. After this beautiful ceremony and
many conversations with our French friends we again boarded our bus to return to Nice and
our wonderful party that evening. |
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| This World War
II history is sponsored and maintained by TMFM |
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