Thursday, July 4, 2019

The Girl Who Wore Freedom



When our American World War II veterans visit Normandy, do you know that they are treated like rock stars? It's true, even young people rush up to them and embrace them. However, this is something that not too many Americans know or appreciate.  On the recent anniversary of the D-Day landing (which was the 75th.) There were lots of photos on TV,  Facebook and Instagram of the vets with the French people, big smiles all around.  (Sadly, our WWII vets are fewer and fewer. Why have WE as Americans not shown our appreciation?  Don't mean to grumble too much but it took a very long time to get that memorial in Washington D.C. for World War II vets. It opened in 2004 and many of the World War II vets that I know had already passed away.)  There is a documentary that has been filmed that I would very much like to see, it is called "The Girl Who Wore Freedom", it tells the story of the Normandy Invasion from the perspective of the French.  It expresses the gratitude to the Americans who liberated them.   I found a wonderful video... it is in French but if you enlarge it, you will be able to read the subtitles in English! 




During the month of June in honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the movie channel TCM (Turner Classic Movies) showed 75 films relating to World War II.  I recorded several of them and will watch them later. (Of course, I have seen them before but they are worth watching again.  One of them, I have written about before, "The Gallant Hours" with Jimmy Cagney. An excellent movie!)  


Jimmy Cagney...he played George M. Cohan in the wonderful film "Yankee Doodle Dandy".  If you have never seen that movie, please promise that you will! It is one of my favorites!
George M. Cohan wrote many songs, one of them..."You're A Grand Old Flag".  You must know I know every single word, right?
("Where there's never a boast or a brag"...insert rueful smile here.)

Happy 4th of July to everyone!  It is Independence day in America!















20 comments:

  1. Hope you had a blessed and beautiful Independence Day! That movie is going to be fabulous.

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  2. "You're a grand old flag, you're a high flyin' flag . . . ." When my daughter took AP American History in prep school, she learned dates and names to prepare for the AP exam. I made sure I told her--and my son--stories from history so they would know more than dates. I've never seen or heard anything more beautiful than taps being played at my father's funeral while the soldiers made their precise movements to fold the flag and present it to my mother. My father was an Army Air Corps pilot during WWII, before the Air Force existed. May God bless our veterans, young and old.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. My Dad was an army veteran and he also had taps played at his funeral and the folded American flag was presented. It was very moving. My Dad was in the army just after World War II ended but he was sent to Germany. He was considered a World War II vet but I think he always felt conflicted over that. You see, his brothers were both in the war and one of them was in Patton's army and saw a great deal of combat. May we always remember those who were in service to our country.
      x

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  3. "The Girl Who Wore Freedom" sounds like it will be a wonderful documentary! I'd watch it too, if I ever get the chance.

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    1. Keep an eye out for it, it looks really good to me.

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  4. With the different time zones we live in, it is already Friday now as I am reading this, but I hope you had a great day!
    Quite by coincidence, the 4th of July became my personal Indipendence Day, too; it happened to be the day I sent my first husband packing (almost 20 years ago now).

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    1. Now that is what I call an Independence day! :-)
      I had to work on the 4th of July but that's okay, the traffic was light!

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  5. Hi Kay - hope you had a happy time ... the French film does look interesting and informative. Enjoy the weekend - Hilary

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    1. Hey Hilary! Hope all is well with you in lovely Eastbourne!

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  6. I watched Yankee Doodle Dandy when I was quite young and thought it was brilliant, especially J C's dancing skills- so different from everyone else in films, like Kelly or Astaire. I never realised until Riverdance came along it was a form of Irish dancing he was doing. A very versatile actor. Great film.

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    1. Jimmy Cagney was an Irish American after all! (Both on his Dad's side and his mother's side.)
      He is one of my favorite actors...AND he could sing and dance!

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  7. Oh sigh...... So true. So true. Why have we forgotten, the sacrifices made, for our Freedom???

    Why are so many citizens, so scornful of their Country?

    Why do they "wail and gnash their teeth," about all they see, as "wrong" with our Country?

    And forget all the Good, our Country, and our Country's Men and Women, have done for the world?

    Why do they tout political systems, which could never have protected the Free World, if they were in effect, at the time of WWII?

    Nor will they protect any of us, if put in place here, now.

    Why are so many, so blind, to reality???

    -sigh-sigh-sigh-sigh-sigh-

    Thank you for this post!!!!!!!!!

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    1. WHen I worked as a travel agent, I spoke with many vets making arrangements to go their military reunions. This would have been in the 80's and 90's. My co workers simply did not want to have anything to do with these guys, but I just loved talking to them.
      I will never stop asking for respect for them!

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    1. THe same to you, but now... Happy 5th. (I am pleading the 5th.)

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  9. I'm smiling because for an unknown reason, without any prompting, last night I started singing, in my mind, "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy"!!!! :)

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  10. I love that movie! And I love the songs from it. And I love my country even if it seems at a difficult moment just now. And I am grateful for all our veterans.

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    1. And this reminds me of a line from another one of my favorite songs..."with all your faults, I love you still".! ("It Had To Be You")
      I am extremely grateful to our veterans. I hope this shows in my writing. x

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