The American Society of Le Souvenir Français Inc.
Monthly Bulletin - Vol. 1. No 10 - November 2021
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FRANCE AND USA SIDE BY SIDE
CENTENNIAL OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
1921-2021
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Top: Symbol of French-American brotherhood in combat. Below: side-by-side, a soldier from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), Tomb Guard Platoon, goes past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sarcophagus in Arlington, Va., (U.S. Army photo by Rachel Larue/released, Public Domain) - Tombe du Soldat Inconnu, Arc de Triomphe, Paris, (WikiCommons Public Domain) |
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This is the story of two similar patriotic endeavors
by two great republics after World War One
First, a few dates and daunting statistics...
From August 3, 1914, when Germany declared war to France, until the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, France suffered tremendous losses: 1,438,700 million soldiers died or disappeared, 3.6 million were wounded. After "La Grande Guerre", (the Great War) every town, from the largest city to the most humble village, raised monuments to its Fallen soldiers.
As our Vice President Patrick du Tertre mentioned in a recent ceremony marking the Centennial of this cataclysmic tragedy: " ...a cruel war which was the first in many ways and not only by its name: with the first ever devastating water-cooled machine guns, the first armored tanks, the first aircraft, even the first aircraft carrier, the first flamethrowers, and of course the first chemicals attacks..."
After narrowly avoiding defeat at the onset of the war when the Germans came as close as 50 miles from Paris, and fighting for its very survival, France was being bled to white (in one single day, on August 22, 1914, 27,000 French soldiers died...during the single battle of Verdun, France lost close to 400,000 men!) and by 1917 was starting to show signs of strains. The British army was also locked in a deadly stalemate, with 19,000 dead in the first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916, and 800,000 casualties in the same period.
This is when the American entry in the war started to tilt the balance in favor of the Allies.
After a few years staying in the sidelines as the majority of Americans wanted to stay neutral, the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, followed by the German declaration of universal submarine warfare in January 1917 provoked such an outcry that finally on April 6, 1917, president Wilson asked Congress to vote for a declaration of war on the side of the Allies, to defend Justice, Liberty and Democracy.
The initial contingent of 177 soldiers who accompanied General Pershing in Boulogne, France, were followed by 200,000 in January 1918, and quickly 2 million on the battlefield by November (and 2 more millions in instruction camps!) The first 3 American casualties occurred at Bathelémont-lès-Bauzemont in November 1917 (their monument was razed by the Germans in 1940). On May 28, 1918, the 1st Infantry Division went to combat in Cantigny, the 2nd Infantry Division went to Château-Thierry and Bois-Belleau, and the 3rd Infantry Division earned its nicknamed of "Rock of the Marne"...
In spite of its late entry, the United States contributed decisively to the Allied victory. In total, 116,516 young American soldiers perished during the war, including 53,402 in combat in France.
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HOW THE IDEA OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
CAME ABOUT
On November 20, 1916, while the battle of Verdun was still raging, Francis Simon, president of the local chapter of Le Souvenir Français in Rennes, Brittany, suggested that France honor a soldier who had died for the Motherland, as an hommage to all soldiers who fought for the ideals of freedom. On November 8, 1920, the deputies unanimously passed a law so that the remains of an Unknown Soldier be buried under the Arc de Triomphe.
Similarly, on October 29, 1919, Brigadier General William D. Connor, commander of the United States Forces in France, proposed to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Peyton C. March, to celebrate an unidentified American soldier dead on French soil, on the model of French ceremonies. On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the project and on July 3, 1926, authorized the completion of the Tomb and the expenditure for a superstructure on top of the tomb.
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HOW THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER WAS CHOSEN
THE FRENCH UNKNOWN SOLDIER:
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Eight bodies of unidentified soldiers, collected in the various sectors of the front, are then transported to the citadel of Verdun. In the presence of André Maginot, Minister of Pensions, Private Auguste Thin, the youngest soldier of the 132nd Infantry Regiment was asked to place a bouquet of carnations on one of the eight coffins which will be transported to Paris. As he explained later, “A simple thought occurred to me. I belong to the 6th corps. By adding the figures of my regiment, the 132th, it is also the number 6 that I retain. My decision is made: this will be the 6th coffin"...
On November 11, 1920, after a moving ceremony in the Pantheon, this coffin was placed in one of the rooms of the Arc de Triomphe converted into a mortuary chapel. On January 28, 1921, The “Unknown Soldier” was buried in a vault under the main arch facing the Champs-Élysées.
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The coffin of the unknown soldier placed on the gun carriage in front of the Arc de Triomphe: © BNF / Gallica |
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Burial of the body of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe: © BNF / Gallica / Agence Meurisse |
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Châlons sur Marne, France: the catafalque, where the coffin was laid on October 24, 1921. It is surrounded by the French & American guard of honor, in the peristyle of the town hall . - Archives The Republican Union / Châlons media library |
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Châlons sur Marne, October 24, 1921: a ceremony takes place in the town hall of the prefecture-level city of Marne, which is now called Châlons-en Champagne. In the old collections of the municipal archives, a photo shows the crowd gathered in front of the town hall, on Place Foch, with this banner "Glory to the unknown American hero". (Photo des Fonds patrimoniaux de la médiathèque Pompidou)
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On October 22, 1921, four bodies were exhumed and examined to find that the death was due to an injury received in combat. The remains were placed in a leaded coffin, then in a second coffin, before leaving by truck for Châlons where they were received by a company of the 106th Infantry Regiment. These four bodies of unknown soldiers were exhumed from four American cemeteries located in different parts of France: Meuse-Argonne, Oise-Aisne, Bois Belleau and Bony.
The mayor of Châlons, Joseph Servas, informed the population that the choice of the Unknown Soldier would be made at the Hôtel de Ville ("City Hall") on October 24, 1921. He asked employers in the region to give their employees leave on Monday afternoon rather than Saturday so that they could participate in the ceremony. Carpenters decorated the streets from the City Hall to the train station.
The four coffins were displayed in the vestibule of the City Hall, which served as a funeral chapel. The entire ground floor was soberly decorated in honor of Americans who fell on French soil: white hangings and American flags. The public paid a final tribute to the remains.
Among 6 American soldiers, Sergeant F. Younger of the Command Company of the 2nd Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment of the US Forces in Germany, twice wounded during the war and a Purple Heart Veteran, placed a bouquet of white roses on one of the four anonymous coffins, it thus designated the one who would become the symbol of all the missing Americans. The coffin was placed within another on which a silver plaque read: "An unknown American who gave his life in the World War". The other three bodies were placed in trucks and transported to the American cemetery of Meuse-Argonne, in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, the largest American military cemetery in Europe.
As Sergeant Edward F. Younger explained later:
"At first it was an idea that we (the six soldiers) were to be just pallbearers, but when we lined up in the little makeshift chapel, Major Harbold, the officer in charge of grave registrations, told us, 'One of you men is to be given the honor of selecting the body of the Unknown Soldier.' He had a large bouquet of pink and white roses in his arms. He finally handed the roses to me. I was left alone in the chapel. There were four coffins, all unnamed and unmarked. The one that I placed the roses on was the one brought home and placed in the national shrine. I walked around the coffins three times, then suddenly I stopped. What caused me to stop, I don't know, it was as though something had pulled me. I placed the roses on the coffin in front of me. I can still remember the awed feeling that I had, standing there alone."
We gratefully acknowledge J.R. Neubeiser, Historian of the Society of Honor Guard/ Tomb of Unknown Soldier and salute his impressively detailed and moving narrration, from the selection of the Unknown Soldier to the epic journey home on board the USS Olympia during a hurricane, to his final resting place in Arlington "With the Hand of God He Will Be Delivered Home”.
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A LONG TRIP BACK HOME, FROM CHALONS TO ARLINGTON |
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A special train of the French government idled at the train station in Châlons-sur Marne to take the Unknown American Soldier to Le Havre France where the USS Olympia was docked
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At 1 PM on October 25th the funeral train arrived in Le Havre. Church bells tolled as French and American troops along with members of the American Legion slowly escorted the flag draped coffin through subdued crowds to the dock via city hall.
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André Maginot, French Minister of Pensions, himself a wounded veteran, decorates the American Unknown Soldier with the Legion of Honor.
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The last moments of the US Unknown Soldier in France, a sister republic he came to defend, before being transferred on board the USS Olympia and its journey back home.
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Burial of the French Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, 1921
Burial of the Unknown Soldier from World War I in 1921 at the dedication ceremony for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
A series of historical videos can be viewed by clicking the following links:
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Ceremonies held on both sides of the Atlantic serve to remind citizens that soldiers died, and continue to die to defend Freedom and fight for sister democracies. While the ceremonials may be slightly different, the spirit is the same: to give the Unknown Soldier the utmost respect. In France, every evening at 6:30PM, the eternal flame is "rekindled" by different patriotic associations. In America, Army guards keep watch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, regardless of weather conditions.
A chestful of French soil from the cemetery at Suresnes was placed below the coffin in Arlington, just as Lafayette's coffin in Picpus cemetery in Paris rests on a trunkful of US soil from Bunker Hill.
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WHAT IF... In spite of stringent and minutious searches to make sure the Unknown Soldier is indeed a Native Son, the fact remains that we cannot exclude the hypothesis of the last lines of the famous poem of the French Foreign Legion:
"Who knows if the stranger who sleeps under the huge arch
Mixing his epic glory with the pride of the past
Is not this foreigner who became the son of France
Not by the blood received but by the blood shed."
We are deeply grateful that
the Society of Honor Guard / Tomb of Unkown Soldier
has "adopted" as their own
the Unknown French soldiers
who are buried in the United States.
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French and American sailors side by side at the dedication of a marker at Le Havre, during the final leg of the pilgrimage trip of the US Centennial Committee in October.
"TO THE MEMORY
OF THE AMERICAN UNKNOWN SOLDIER
WHO DIED FOR FRANCE
WHO LEFT LE HAVRE ON BOARD THE USS OLYMPIA
ON OCTOBER 25, 1921.
Marker inaugurated by Édouard PHILIPPE,
Mayor of Le Havre, president of Le Havre Métropole,
on October 25, 2021,
in the presence of Geneviève DARRIEUSSECQ,
Secretary of State to the Minister of the Armed Forces, in charge of Veterans,
and Galvin McILVENNA,
President of the Society of Honor Guard, Tomb of Unknown Soldier,
President of the Centenial Committee"
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Our next Bulletin in December will introduce our Register
"Places of Memories of French presence in America"
which will be published in 2022
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CELEBRATION OF THE VICTORIES OF SARATOGA AND YORKTOWN at
ST PAUL TRINITY CHURCH, BROADWAY
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On October 16, 2021 at 2:00 P.M., St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church Wall Street, 209 Broadway, New York, NY 10007 in the churchyard, this annual celebration led by Ambrose Richardson
was sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Historical Association and its Constituent Organizations: Veteran Corps of Artillery, Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Culture Now, First Continental Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, Institute of History, Archeology, and Education, The Chinatown Partnership, and the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education represented by its Founder & President Peter Feinman.
The Federation of French War Veterans participated, and a wreath was laid by Mr. Jérémie Robert, Consul General of France in New York, by the mausoleum of Etienne Bechet de Rochefontaine
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Lt. Col. E.M. Bechet, Sieur de Rochefontaine
1755-1814
"Revolutionary War Soldier"
"A French officer who fought for American independence, Rochefontaine served under the French General Rochambeau during the Revolutionary War. He assisted in the capture of Lord Cornwallis and later commanded the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers at West Point Military Academy.”
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INAUGURATION OF THE STATUE OF ROCHAMBEAU IN YORKTOWN |
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Yorktown - - On Monday October 18, the statue of Rochambeau was added to those of Washington, La Fayette and de Grasse at the river front in Yorktown, Virginia. The statues standing at Riverwalk Landing were only two when inaugurated in 2005: General George Washington, Commander of the American forces and Admiral Francois DeGrasse, Commander of the French Fleet. On October 18, 2017, General Lafayette joined them, and on October 18, 2021, General Comte de Rochambeau joined his comrades-in-arms and the conversation for eternity.
Cyd Player, a Williamsburg-based artist, sculpted the four statues and was there at the unveiling.
Chuck Schwam, Treasurer & COO of The American Friends of Lafayette, and a Washington Rochambeau Revolution Route Association (W3R-US) Director, was the Master of Ceremonies and introduced the speakers. The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) began campaigning for a Rochambeau statue in 2017, and Chuck commended Ernest Sutton, the organization’s surgeon general, for “herding cats” to help bring the project to fruition. Chuck also cited Walter Judd of the Celebrate Yorktown Committee, the only organization involved in the erection of all four statues in the ensemble. The American Friends of Lafayette tirelessly spearheaded the fundraising for the statue and credited the Celebrate Yorktown Committee along with Les Amis de Rochambeau, The Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati and members of the Ordre Lafayette, the National Park Service (which funded 40 percent of the $40,000 sculpture). W3R-US administered the NPS-WARO pass-through grant. Chuck thanked them as major contributors and all the many agencies, organizations and individuals whose financial and other support made the statue a reality.
W3R National Chair Larry Abel, along with Nicole Yancey, W3R Director, former Honorary Consul of France in Virgina, and current Regional Delegate of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, Steve Williams, deputy superintendent of Colonial National Historical Park, Colonel Aymeric Tardieu de Malleissye, from the Norfolk-based French Delegation to NATO, Mark Jakobowski, vice president of the Sons of the Revolution in Virginia, all gave very insightful remarks on this great Soldier who deserves more proper recognition.
American Friends of Lafayette President Alan Hoffman, Treasurer and COO Chuck Schwam, Secretary Bonnie Fritz, Vice President Robert Kelly, Vice President Hank Parfitt, Membership Chair Abbey Evans, and more than 70 Members of the American Friends of Lafayette gathered in this wonderful ceremony, including Johnny Carawan, Trail Administrator, Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route - National Historic Trail (WARO) at the National Park Service, Dr. Robert A. Selig author of numerous publications and Historian for the W3R, Julien Icher, president of TheLafayetteTrail.org, Elaine Lawton, chair of the W3R-US Education Committee, Ellen von Karajan, Executive Director of W3R-US, Jeff Canning, National Recording Secretary of W3R-US, Randy Flood, W3R Strategic Planning Committee Chair, Historian re-enactor Mark Schneider of Jamestown, and many other distinguished guests.. An artillery salute, courtesy of the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, rounded out the program, thanks to P. Jeffrey Lambert, COO at The American Revolution Consortium for Civic Education, and Homer Lanier at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. At the ensuing luncheon, a video hookup with Rochambeau descendant Nathalie de Gouberville from the family château at Thoré-la-Rochette in France took place.
This long-awaited addition came at the perfect time to serve as a reminder that the French-American friendship is quite unique in the history of nations. France was the first nation to recognize the independence of the United States, is America's oldest ally since the signing of the Treaty of Alliance of February 6, 1778, and provided crucial help with money, arms, troops to ensure America's independence.
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TRIBUTE TO AN UNKNOWN PATRIOT UNDER GENERAL LAFAYETTE
JAMESTOWN, VA
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That same Monday afternoon, October 18, we also honored the tomb of an Unknown American soldier, buried near the grounds of Church on the Main (1750) in Jamestown, Virginia. Although the church was destroyed in 1851, remains are visible and the entire area has been preserved by Historic Virginia Land Conservancy.
Richard Azzaro, Co-founder of the Society of Honor Guard / Tomb of Unknown Soldier, who spearheaded the effort to commemorate this American patriot who served under major-general Marquis de Lafayette, at the battle of Green Spring of July 6, 1781, said: ..."we honor and remember a Patriot Soldier who died facing the enemy in our struggle for independence. As we stand before his final resting place with our French Allies by our side, we also speak to all those who “gave their tomorrows for our today".
"With profound respect, gratitude, love and pride we perform our sacred duty to Never Forget. Today is a great day to be an American". Jeff Lambert, COO of The American Revolution Consortium for Civic Education, officiated with several visitors gathering on these sacred grounds. We hope this ceremony will gain importance in the years to come, as a prelude to the larger ceremonies at Yorktown the next day.
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CEREMONIES AT FRENCH CEMETERY AND FRENCH MEMORIAL MONUMENT
YORKTOWN, VA
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On Tuesday, October 19, we celebrated the 240th anniversary of the combined French-American victory in Yorktown, Virginia, which led to the Independence of the United States.
At 8:45AM, Chuck Schwam presiding, François Penguilly, General Consul of France in Washington DC., Thierry Chaunu and Nicole Yancey laid a wreath at the French Cemetery where 50 unknown French sailors are buried in a mass grave.
At 9:45AM we gathered at the French Memorial Monument which lists the names of some 600 French soldiers and sailors who gave their lives for the cause of Freedom. At 11:00AM patriotic exercises were held at the Victory Monument in the presence of Mr. François Penguilly, Consul General of France in Washington, and Mrs. Nicole Yancey, former Honorary Consul of France in Virginia, and Regional Delegate of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français. Colonel Aymeric Tardieu de Maleissye gave remarks at the French Memorial, with Lt. Colonel Alain Abad commanding the detachment of several Officers and Petty Officers from the French Army, French Navy and French Air Force stationed at NATO Command in nearby Norfolk. Special thanks to Mrs. Brigitte Smith, of Naples, Florida, also a member of Le Souvenir Français in Seine-et-Marne, who so graciously held the standard of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français and who was present at all three ceremonies, to Chuck Schwam, COO of the American Friends of Lafayette, who was the Master of Ceremony at the French Cemetery, to P. Jeffrey Lambert, COO at The American Revolution Consortium for Civic Education, to Homer Lanier at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, who gave us a memorable presentation of 21 gun-salute in period uniforms, and all distinguished organizers, guests and attendees for this special day celebrating more than two centuries of French-American alliance and friendship.
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DELEGATION FROM FRANCE FOR THE CENTENNIAL OF UNKNOWN SOLDIER, ARLINGTON CEMETERY |
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CENTENNIAL OF THE US UNKNOWN SOLDIER
On Sunday, October 24 in Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Mr. Philippe Germain, representing Le Souvenir Français in Paris and its president-general, Contrôleur Général des Armées (2s) Serge Barcellini, and former Mayor of Châlons-en-Champagne Mr. Bruno Bourg-Broc, flew to the US on the occasion of the Centennial of the return of the US Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, while several ceremonies where held in France at the same time to reaffirm the historic bonds of alliance and friendship between our two nations.
Our special gratitude to Richard A. Azzaro, Co-founder, Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, for organizing an additional side ceremony honoring 9 French officers and soldiers from WW1 buried in Arlington, of whom 8 died for France ("Morts pour la France"), laying a white rose on each grave, as well as a tribute at the mausoleum of French-American military engineer Major Pierre l'Enfant, who laid plans for the City of Washington DC.
At the same time, Gavin McIlevenna, president of the Society of Honor Guard/Tomb of Unknown Soldier, accompanied by Members of the American Legion, American Gold Star Mothers and the Daughters of the American Revolution, visited France and met with several Mayors and officials in several cities, from Châlons to Le Havre.
Many commemorations and ceremonies were held, thanks to:
Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (SHGTUS), American Gold Star Mothers Inc., Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Society of the Cincinnati, American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), U.S. Embassy Paris, American Rose Society, City of Châlons-en-Champagne, City of Le Havre, City of Paris, 16eme Arrondisement Paris, Office National des Anciens Combattants et Victimes de Guerre (ONAC-VG), Paris Post 1 American Legion, Sons & Auxiliary, Association of the U.S. Army, European Region, Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), École Militaire Paris, American Cathedral Paris, Brigham Young University (BYU), Democrats Abroad France, Le Souvenir Français, BSA Troop 112, Benjamin Franklin VFW Post 605, American Overseas Memorial Day Association (AOMDA), The Normandy Institute, Famille Ducher Rosarie.
Detailed photographic account of the pilgrimage : Click here
Also:
https://www.legion.org/fodpal/254131/%E2%80%98-unforgettable-journey-past%E2%80%99
And a video of the ceremony in Chalons:
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On Monday October 25 at 2:15PM on board the USS Olympia, in Philadelphia: Ceremony to commemorate the Centennial of the US Unknown Soldier:
Thierry Chaunu, president of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, along with Alain Dupuis, president of the Federation of French War Veterans and 2nd vice-president of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, attended the Centennial Anniversary of the Return of the Unknown Soldier on board the USS Olympia in Philadelphia.
On October 3, 1921, the good people at Le Havre, France, lined up the streets in total silence while French & American soldiers carried the casket. Minister of Pensions André Maginot decorated the US Unknown Soldier with the Legion of Honor. The historic cruiser then crossed the Atlantic in dire conditions. For two-thirds of the 15-day trip, it rode 20- to 30-foot waves while crossing sea lanes. To make matters worse, the crew was unable to store its precious cargo below deck. The casket and its remains could only be held topside as the storms wreaked havoc on the cruiser. Despite the weather and rough seas, the Marines never left the Unknown Soldier. They lashed themselves to the ship's decks and maintained their watch!
The ship and the Unknown Soldier arrived in Washington’s Navy Yard on Nov. 9, 1921. The ship fired its guns in salute to the soldier. He laid in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda until Armistice Day, Nov. 11, when he was transferred to his final resting place at Arlington, where since that time he is resting under the watchful guard of the Tomb Guards, some of them being present at the ceremony on board the USS Olympia.
The USS Olympia flew the French Flag during this incredibly moving ceremony, with the United State Navy Band playing the Marseillaise, the Star-Spangled Banner, several French military marches, and a 21 gun salute.
Our gratitude and thanks to the Society of Honor Guard / Tomb of Unknown Soldier for their tireless work to keep honoring all those brave soldiers who died for the cause of Freedom, and their brotherhood with their French comrades-in-arms as well as all those who organized this unforgettable ceremony.
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ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO FRENCH WAR VETERANS AT FLUSHING CEMETERY |
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Saturday, October 30th at 10:00AM, The Federation of French War veterans, along with the American Society of Le Souvenir Français and the Association of French Reserve Officers in the United States (ACREFEU) met with faithful friends to pay homage to their departed comrades in the two traditional ceremonies in Flushing Cemetery and at Cypress Hills National Cemetery.
In the first event a particular tribute was paid to Eugene Bullard, a native of Columbus, Georgia who volunteered for service in the French Foreign Legion in October of 1914, was severely wounded, learned to fly while he was recovering, served in “Aéronautique Militaire”, the French Army Air Corps and had an eventful life in France and the United States. After his death on October 12, 1961 he was buried in the French War Veterans’ section at Flushing Cemetery. In 2008 he was recognized by the US Air Force as the first Black Fighter Pilot in history.
A Color Guard of the US Air Force was present at this moving ceremony, attended by Mr. Jérémie Robert, Consul General of France, Mr. Damien Laban, Deputy Consul General of France, Col. Terrance Holliday, USAF, Ret. Former NYC Commissioner of Veterans’ Affairs, LtCdr Thierry Chaunu, President of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, and Lt Col Patrick du Tertre, President of the Association of French Reserve Officers in the United States (ACREFEU).
Mr. Jérémie Robert, President Alain Dupuis, Terrance Holliday, Thierry Chaunu and Patrick du Tertre addressed the audience.
Mr. Jérémie Robert and Terrance Holliday laid a wreath in the name of the Consulate at the tomb of Eugene Bullard, Thierry Chaunu and Patrick du Tertre laid a wreath in the name of the three associations the Federation of French War Veterans, the French Reserve Officers in the United States, and the American Society of Le Souvenir Français.
Young trumpetist Mathieu Choueiri (aged 15) of the Cadets Lafayette marching band received the Medal of Music from the hands of the Consul General.
Photo above: Daniel Falgerho
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ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO 25 FRENCH SAILORS FROM WW1 AT
CYPRESS HILLS NATIONAL CEMETERY, BROOKLYN, NY
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Later that day, on Saturday, October 30th at 12:00PM noon... Following this, we proceeded to Cypress Hills National Cemetery where 25 French Sailors were buried after they succumbed to the Spanish Influenza Pandemic in 1918.
They died while in active duty after serving in convoy escort and anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic.
Mr. Damien Laban, Deputy Consul General of France, Thierry Chaunu, Patrick du Tertre and Alain Dupuis addressed the audience.
Col. Terrance Holliday and Mr. Damien Laban laid a wreath in the name of Le Souvenir Français in front of the monument to the memory of the French Sailors, Patrick du Tertre and Thierry Chaunu laid a wreath in the name of the three associations the Federation of French War Veterans, the French Reserve Officers in the United States, and the American Society of Le Souvenir Français.
We express our sincere thanks to Jacques Letalon, Bandleader, André Ferrara and Mathieu Choueiri of the Cadets La Fayette for providing musical accompaniment and for their dedication. The Federation was represented by its President Alain Dupuis, Henri Dubarry, Paul Garabedian, Nancy Dumerchat, Michel Dumerchat, Maria le Gall, Jean Le Gall and Daniel Falgerho.
Photo above: Daniel Falgerho
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ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO 25 FRENCH SOLDIERS OF ROCHAMBEAU BURIED AT PROVIDENCE CEMETERY, RHODE ISLAND |
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TRIBUTE to French Soldiers buried in Providence, R.I.
Saturday, November 6, the annual ceremony paying tribute to the French officers, soldiers and sailors who died and were interred in Providence, R.I. at the time of the French Army's presence in Rhode Island, was held with several volunteers re-enactors led by Prof. Norman Desmarais, professor Emeritus, Providence College.
We are grateful to Prof. Desmarais and all the volunteers for tirelessly honoring the memories of all these valiant Frenchmen who died for the cause of Freedom and are resting for eternity in the United States.
The idea for a memorial was conceived by Reverend Frederic A. Denison of Providence, who extensively researched the fate of French soldiers who had perished while stationed in the city a hundred years earlier. After exhumations confirmed the location of the unmarked graves, the city graded the landscape and authorized Denison to raise the funds necessary for a monument. In 1881, the French delegation to the Yorktown Centennial visited Providence to examine the gravesite and decorate the unfinished memorial with floral crosses.
For the July 4, 1882 dedication, the French Minister of War, General Georges Boulanger wrote, “We will always remember the greeting we received throughout the United States, and in particular in Rhode Island, with sentiments the most sweet and the most cordial".
As French Consul-General in Boston A. La Faivre noted, they were the “elite of our land and naval forces” and went on declaring to the citizens of Providence that “on the tombstone, raised by your hands, these two nations, these two sister republics, join hands today across the Atlantic Ocean.”
At least 25 soldiers died in Providence or at the Providence hospital during the time of the French Army’s presence in Rhode Island: 7 or 8 from the Auxonne Artillery Regiment, 8 from the Régiment Bourbonnais
, and 6 each from the Régiment Saintonge
and the Régiment Soissonnais
. Most of the soldiers died in September (12) and October (6) of 1780. The registers do not indicate any cause of death, but many probably died of yellow fever.
The names of the French soldiers and sailors are:
Vincent Marrais,
Geste Meginest,
Antoine Monnet,
Joseph Boilard (aka Batude)
Claude Boirard (aka Albert)
Jean Chenu (aka Ajax),
Gabriel Despas (aka Abagao),
Joseph Gentil
Pierre Genty (aka Graccure),
Jean Louis Malle (aka Arnould),
André Saget (aka Sophocle),
François Bonnot,
Claude Chartier,
Sébastien Guétard (aka Guétard),
Claude Le Comte (aka Le Comte),
Jean Martin (aka Lagny),
Jean Claude Picaud (aka Picaut),
Georges Antonnau (aka St. Georges),
Pierre Dufour (aka Dufour),
François Gogue (aka Vaton)
André Jolas,
Jean Nouvel,
Nicolas Roye.
R.I.P for eternity alongside your American brothers-in arms.
Photos courtesy of Prof. Norman Desmarais.
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ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO 463 FRENCH AND AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS FROM NEW YORK WHO DIED IN WW1 AND WW2, NOTRE-DAME CHURCH, MANHATTAN |
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ANNUAL HOMMAGE TO THE FALLEN BY THE FEDERATION OF FRENCH WAR VETERANS
Each year on the Sunday closest to Veterans’ Day, The Federation of French War Veterans meets at New York’s Church of Notre Dame. On November 7, a mass was celebrated by Father Michael Holleran, Pastoral Vicar. The Church of Notre Dame houses the plaques bearing the names of 463 French New Yorkers and American Volunteers in the Escadrille La Fayette as well as the American Field Service who died in the two World Wars.
Mr. Damien Laban, Deputy Consul General of France in New York, Thierry Chaunu, President of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français and Patrick du Tertre, President of the Association of French Reserve Officers in the United States laid a wreath on behalf of the three associations before the Memorial Plaques with the participation of Major Carl Dionou-Weiss of the New York State Veteran Corps of Artillery, in the presence of Father Holleran and Father Karl Lindblad, Administrator of the Church of Notre Dame.
Jacques Letalon, bandleader of the Cadets La Fayette, played "Aux Morts" (the French equivalent of "Taps") as well as both National anthems "La Marseillaise" and "The Star Spangled Banner."
A celebration luncheon followed at the Jubilee Restaurant, which was the first time members could catch up in person since November 2019. The Federation was present in the persons of Françoise Cestac, Special Adviser, President Alain Dupuis, Henri Dubarry, Treasurer,Paul Garabedian, Secretary, Michel Longchampt, Jean Le Gall, Michel Dumerchat and Daniel Falgerho, Vice President.
For more photos and details on this event, please visit:
Photo above: Daniel Falgerho
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A VERY SPECIAL EVENT AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY |
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On November 9 & 10, the general public was invited to lay roses at the Unknown Soldier Mausoleum.
We are humbled and grateful to the Society of Honor Guard / Tomb of Unknown Soldier, for including the 9 French officers and soldiers who are buried in Arlington National Cemetery and the mausoleum of Major Pierre l'Enfant. As co-Founder Richard Azzaro said: "our Society has adopted them as our own".
In honor of the 100th year centennial of the Tomb, Bob Martin, President of the American Rose Society has written a poem called ‘In Arlington’. It is a captivating poem brought to you by Gary Sinise, the award-winning actor and dedicated supporter of our military service members.
There are also two additional "must-see" videos:
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ANOTHER VERY SPECIAL TRIBUTE FOR VETERANS DAY
YORKTOWN
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The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in concert with the Watermens Museum conducted a ceremony to mark the end of WWI and also mark the Centennial of the First Unknown Soldier being put to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
At 10:45 AM, Cannon fired and ceased at 11:00 AM...when the guns fell silent the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month. Church bells rang to recognize the sacrifice of those who gave their last full measure for Freedom, followed by the playing of Taps.
An interpretation of when the guns fell silent:
Our thanks, gratitude and congratulations to Jeff Lambert, Homer Lanier, and all who made these November 11 events so meaningful.
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ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PARADE
FIFTH AVENUE, MANHATTAN
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ARMISTICE DAY PARADE, November 11, 2021, on Fifth Avenue, New York
The Federation of French War Veterans, the Association of French Reserve Officers in the United States (ACREFEU), the American Society of Le Souvenir Français participated in the annual Veterans' Day parade on Fifth Avenue. Mr. Jérémie Robert, Consul General of France in New York, as well as Colonel Richard Decombe and other officers of the Permanent Mission of France at the United Nations joined us for this celebration of Armistice Day and Veterans of all the wars. Two giant French and American Flags provided by TheFrenchWillNeverForget.org were held by more than 80 scouts of Troop#1, alongside the talented musiciens of the Cadets Lafayette marching band, led by Jacques Letalon. We are grateful to Natalie Yates for mobilizing all these fine young Scouts, their parents, guides and volunteers as well, who paid tribute to the Veterans and the shared history of the two nations.
Thousands of New Yorkers lined up on both sides of the celebrated avenue, between 26th Street and 45th Street, cheering on with applause and shouts of "Vive la France" as well as countless military salutes exchanged with American Veterans and active duty Armed Forces personnel.
Photo above: Daniel Falgerho
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Boy Scouts from Troop#1 carried two giant French and American Flags from TheFrenchWillNeverForget.org, and marched to the music of the Cadets Lafayette led by Jacques Letalon (trumpet). Photographed in the foreground: French War Veteran André Ferrara playing the bass drum.
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Alain Dupuis, President of the Federation of French War veterans and 2nd Vice President of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, also participated in a ceremony at the 107th Infantry Memorial, at the invitation of Brig. General Thomas J. Principe, president of the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment.
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The Newport Historical Society is pleased to host Norman Desmarais for a free virtual lecture, "Reevaluating Our French Allies", on Thursday December 2, 2021 at 5:30pm, on Zoom.
In this program, Desmarais will discuss recent discoveries about the Count de Rochambeau’s army that counter popular assumptions about the French participation in America’s War for Independence. This talk, based on research from his new book, The Road to Yorktown: The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783, will focus primarily on the recently published diary of the Count de Lauberdiere which includes details that are not covered in any other French diaries. It will also elucidate aspects of the French presence in Newport mentioned in the diary.
Norman Desmarais, professor emeritus at Providence College, is a member of Le Regiment Bourbonnais, the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment and the Brigade of the American Revolution. He is editor-in-chief of The Brigade Dispatch, the journal the Brigade of the American Revolution and the author of The Guide to the American Revolutionary War (6-volumes covering about 4500 actions), and The Guide to the American Revolutionary War at Sea and Overseas (7 volumes) which covers more than 10,500 engagements. He has also translated the Gazette Françoise and the diary of Count of Lauberdière published as The Road to Yorktown. Norman has also authored America’s First Ally: France in the Revolutionary War and Washington’s Engineer: Louis Duportail and the Creation of an Army Corps.
Thursday December 2, 2021 at 5:30pm
Free, presented through Zoom
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The Lafayette Trail, Inc. is pleased to announce the upcoming dedication ceremony for a new historic marker in Buffalo, New York.
The marker will be installed near the southwest corner of Lafayette Square (415 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14203) on
Monday, December 13 at 1:00PM EST.
Street parking will be available around the site of the unveiling.
We heartily encourage you to support the LafayetteTrail.org association, led by its president Julien Icher, who is pursuing the monumental task of erecting bronze markers everywhere the Marquis General de Lafayette went during his triumphal tour of the United Sate in 1824-1825 as "Guest of the Nation".
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Julien Icher travels to Hartford, CT, to dedicate a new Lafayette Trail marker at CT’s Old State House, where Lafayette was addressed by CT Governor Oliver Wolcott, Jr. on September 4, 1824.
Connecticut played a prominent role during the Revolutionary War. In 1784, CT honored itself, its colonial form of government, and its own affinity with the ideas of self-government when it gave Lafayette and his son George Washington Lafayette citizenship.
While the rest of the Union was adopting state constitutions to solidify legal protections for individual rights, Connecticut stuck to its Standing Order and its two foundational legal documents of 1639 and 1662 to govern its land and its people.
It did not enshrine the separation between the church and the state in a legal document until 1818.
How did CT align itself with the rest of the Union while preserving its colonial heritage? What does Lafayette’s 1824 visit reveal about CT itself and the transformations that affected its institutions?
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ERRATUM:
In our October Bulletin we made an error regarding a date:
"October 4: In Gloucester, across the river, infamous British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, who committed war atrocities in South Carolina, engaged in a skirmish with the Duke of Lauzun " . The event happened on 3 October.
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OUR MISSIONS:
• To preserve the memory of the French soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives for freedom, and who are buried in the United States.
• To honor French Citizens who did great deeds in the United States, or with a strong connection with the United States,
• To promote the appreciation for French culture and heritage in the United States, and the ideals that unite our two nations, in order to pass the torch of memory to younger generations.
• To strengthen the long-standing traditional bonds of friendship between the American and French peoples, and to this end: erect or maintain memorials and monuments and encourage historical research, public presentations and publications in the media.
Le Souvenir Français, a French association under the high patronage of the President of the Republic, was born in 1872 in occupied Alsace-Lorraine, and was founded in 1887 in Paris by Professor Xavier Niessen. The association has more than 300,000 members in France and in more than 45 countries.
In the United States, the American Society of Le Souvenir Français (Souvenir Français USA) has been represented since the First World War by a General Delegate, among whom were Dr Jules Pierre, MM. Bruno Kaiser, Colonel Roger Cestac, Christian Bickert, Mathieu Petitjean, and Jean Lachaud. The association is presided since November 2020 by CC(H) Thierry Chaunu (H) Lt Cdr., French Navy.
The American Society of Le Souvenir Français, Inc. is a 501(c)3 corporation established in 1993 in NY.
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OUR PAST MONTHLY BULLETINS
October Bulletin – On the footsteps of Rochambeau (Part 5 – Final episode: Victory in Yorktown!)
Bulletin d’octobre sur la marche des troupes de Rochambeau (5ème partie et dernier episode – Victoire à Yorktown!)
September Bulletin – On the footsteps of Rochambeau (Part 4–Philadelphia to Yorktown, Battle of the Capes)
Bulletin de septembre sur la marche des troupes de Rochambeau
August Bulletin – On the footsteps of Rochambeau (Part 3– New York/New Jersey to Philadelphia)
July Bulletin – On the footsteps of Rochambeau (Part 2 – Connecticut & New York)
June Bulletin – On the footsteps of Rochambeau (Part 1 – Connecticut)
May Bulletin honoring the WWII French aviators who died in the United States
April Bulletin celebrating the annual commemoration of “French Alliance Day” in Valley Forge, PA
March newsletter honoring two French Navy officers from Rochambeau’s army buried in Newport, RI.
February Bulletin honoring Eugene Bullard, America's first Black Fighter Pilot:
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Did you know that a portion of every purchase you make on Amazon can benefit American Society of Le Souvenir Francais Inc, at no cost to you?
Simply go to: smile.amazon.com, designate American Society of Le Souvenir Francais Inc. as your beneficiary, and shop away!
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Help us implement several historic commemorative projects celebrating the 243-year-old Franco-American friendship and alliance!
The American Society of Le Souvenir Français, Inc. is a registered NY State non-profit corporation and has full IRS tax exempt 501(c)3 status. All donations are tax deductible.
pt 501c3 status. All donations are tax deductibl
Contact: Thierry Chaunu, President
132 East 43rd Street #341 The Chrysler Building New York, NY 10017
Email: tchaunu@SouvenirFrancaisUSA.org Mobile: 646-732-1822
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