From: Steve Grammont (islander@midmaine.com)
Date: Wed May 01 2002 - 22:44:18 PDT
Dan makes an excellent point.
Folks... if Europeans blocked of every area where a significant battle
was fought, there would be no place for the Europeans to live, work, or
recreate. There is only so much one can ask. So long as they aren't
going to turn Omaha into an extension of Euro Disney, I say it is their
soil and their right to do with as they see fit. Hopefully they will
preserve its integrety, but if they do not... I won't hold it against them.
I have far more ill feelings towards the multi billion dollar
corporations in the US (and elsewhere, I am sure) which don't think twice
about tearing down historical structures and plowing under scenic vistas
to put their ugly box stores for 3-10 years until they decide to relocate
to the next town over or go out of business due to over expansion. In
one year I saw RiteAid (drug store chain still in Chapter 11 I think)
destroy 3 100+ year structures in three adjoining towns with populations
of 2000-4000 people. One of which was a brick building in perfectly good
condition. In an area with few historic structures left, and few
structures in general, these actions were particullarly noticable.
As a historian (I have a piece of paper that proves it!) I am always
saddened when something historical is pushed out for something new.
Hopefully the French government will handle this matter gingerly.
Steve
>
>Hello folks.
>Being a French born (1942) naturalized US citizen ( and damn proud of it!)
>familiar with the area in question and the industry proposed I like to
>clarify a few points on the subject, if I may.
>First, there is no doubt about the enormous debt of gratitude felt by the
>French in general pour " les Ricains" (friendly nickname bestowed on the
>GI's). However, one has to remember that Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah,
>stretching from Ouistream to Carentan covered an area of almost sixty miles.
>Omaha Beach itself stretches for six miles. We must also remember that
>Normandy was not the only opposed landing area. In France alone Overlord was
>also followed in August by Anvil an allied landing on beaches of the
>Mediterranean stretching from Toulon to Cannes. We must also pay homage to
>the tragic sacrifice of our valiant Canadian Friends slaughtered at Dieppe
>before Overlord. Following the landings, vast areas of French countryside
>witnessed the valor and the sacrifice of American, British, Free Belgian,
>free Norwegian, Free Poles and Free French not counting the divers
>undergrounds and Maquis. It would be truly impossible to enshrine all the
>sites were Allies in general and brave American soldier went in combat,
>suffered, died and truly made a nation proud.
>Acres upon acres of rolling hills covered with row over row of white crosses
>lay, resting on holly ground, under the cover of the US flag in small parcel
>of France forever deeded by a thankful France to the people of the United
>State. Omaha Beach by itself is still French soil, but two American shrine
>overlooks it. The hill of Pointe du Hoc on top of the cliff for ever
>associated with the us Rangers is now and for ever an integral part of the
>territory of the United States and a monument mark the sacrifice of the men
>of Overlord. And finally overlooking the beach of Omaha at Coleville sur Mer
>another piece of American ground shelter the American Cemetery were 7,000 US
>soldier rest (among them 3 congressional medal of honor recipients) and a
>Memorial honor the Missing http://www.ifrance.com/normandie/cimetier.html
>(Sorry in French!)
>As of the practice of mussel farming it is not an intrusive practice. The
>mussels grow on frames hanging from float ancred in shallow areas. There is
>neither intrusion on the sea bottom nor any hard structure on land. The
>farmer/fisherman access the float on boats.
>Sorry, about taking all that space but I thought that the above should be
>said.
>Back to truck and jeeps.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>From: Military Vehicles Mailing List [mailto:mil-veh@mil-veh.org] On
>Behalf Of Ryan Gill
>Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 8:09 PM
>To: Military Vehicles Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [MV] Omaha Beach revisited
>
>At 9:18 PM -0400 5/1/02, Pete & Renee Davis wrote:
>>Hello TJ,
>>
>>That was pretty much my first reaction, too.
>>
>>But then I thought about how it saddens me to hear the latest
>>development plans
>>for another US Civil War battlefield. It's hard to say exactly how big a
>>
>[snip]
>
>I think Omaha rates as being far more significant due to the sheer
>number of casualties that were lost on that small strip of beach.
>
>
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