Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[agracier]

from Agracier above....."Here's an interesting note on these last. War photographer Robert Capa, famous for his SCW work, apparently knew some of these Spanish volunteers from his time in Spain during the late 1930's and met up with some during the liberation of Paris in 1944 and later in the year during a failed attempt by these to invade Spain."
Now there's an interesting "what if" campaign for mission builders....

Robert Capa is worth a whole thread by himself. The Spanish volunteers were members of the 2ieme D.B. that were amongst the first to enter Paris in 1944. Old Republican veterans, they joined Free French forces, painting names on their armored vehicles to commemorate scw battles like Teruel, Madrid and others. Capa is supposed to have waved to his former landlady as he drove in one of those vehicles on that special day, but the story is possibly a Capa fabrication, as he mainly lived out of hotels during his Paris years, and not always paying the rent either ... but it's a great story anyway and captures the feel of the those special days ...ha ha

[dpaige7]

I live a few blocks away from the United States only Monument to World War One. Its grounds include two Sphinx sculptures, two museums, and the centerpiece 217-foot tower. A third and much larger new museum opened in 2006 below the tower.

The site for the Liberty Memorial was dedicated on November 1, 1921. The main Allied military leaders spoke to a crowd of close to 200,000 people. It was the only time in history that these leaders were together at one place. In attendance were Lieutenant General Baron Jacques of Belgium; General Armando Diaz of Italy; Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France; General John J. Pershing of the United States; and Admiral Lord Earl Beatty of Great Britain.

[crazyeddie]

Not wishing to upset our American cousins but one thing struck me about the American monuments in the Argonne and Verdun areas.  Some of them are REALLY BIG !!!  The one on the high ground above Montfaucon d-Argonne really does impose itself over the landscape, it's just too big for that setting and dwarfs the French monuments near it.  I like the slightly understated French monuments near by more, simpler, a bit rustic, in scale with the landscape.  The mate I was with didn't agree, he thought it was just right.

On the other hand the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery close by at Romange is truly beautiful, almost perfect in every aspect, if that could ever be the right way to describe such a place.  The sense of peace there was the most noticeable of all the military cemeteries I have ever visited, and I have visited many over the years all over the world.

As I said, don't be offended, it probably was right at the time and I'm getting on these days, cemeteries bring out the worst in me, too many of my mates in them.  (NOT WW1 vintage mind, before anyone comments !!!)