Ce samedi 30 juin, a eu lieu une grande chaîne humaine, symbole fort de l'amitié franco-américaine, à Omaha Beach, l'une des plages du Débarquement allié en Normandie le 6 juin 1944, pour envoyer ce message silencieux : " France will never forget ".
L'ambassadeur des Etats Unis en France Craig Stapleton, présent à ce grand rassemblement a remercié l'ensemble des participants, vétérans américains et français, habitants de Normandie, vivants symboles de l'amitié entre les Etats-Unis et la France.
C'est plus de 2.000 personnes qui ont formé les lettres du message sur la plage, dans un geste visant à renforcer les liens entre la France et les Etats-Unis. Des drapeaux géants français et américains ont également été posés sur le sable.
" Nous avons voulu envoyer ce message en guise de souvenir ... Nous n'avons pas oublié le sacrifice de tous ces héros qui sont morts durant la Seconde guerre mondiale ", a déclaré Jean-Pierre Heim, du Comité The French Will Never Forget qui organisait l'événement en association avec le Collectif Respect.
La journée a débuté par une cérémonie au cimetière de Colleville-sur-Mer ( Calvados ) en présence de M. Stapleton, des membres du Comité The French Will Never Forget, de vétérans français et américains, du Collectif Respect et de nombreux jeunes.
Le Comité The French Will Never Forget a été créé au moment des grandes tensions des relations franco-américaines au moment de la guerre en Irak.
En réaction, une première opération avait été organisée le 4 juillet 2003 : quelque 60.000 roses rouges avaient été déposées sur les tombes de tous les GIs morts sur le sol français, dans tous les cimetières.
L'événement de ce samedi se voulait un message fort à l'occasion de l'Independence Day du 4 juillet aux Etats-Unis, date symbolique pour la France qui a été le premier pays à reconnaître l'indépendance des Etats-Unis.
Des photos prises samedi par deux hélicoptères pour immortaliser le message composé à Omaha Beach doivent être distribuées aux Etats-Unis le 4 juillet, selon Jean-Pierre Heim.
De même le Collectif Respect s'est associé à cette opération.
FRANCE WILL NEVER FORGET - THANK YOU AMERICA "
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GOD BLESS AMERICA
The French Will Never Forget
At last ! What a joy to realize that some French are a little more grateful and less forgetting than others.
This Saturday, June 30th, a large human chain was formed, a strong symbol of the Franco-American friendship at Omaha Beach, one of the beaches of the combined landing on Normandy on June 6th, 1944, to send this quiet message: " France will never forget ".
The United States' Ambassador in France, Craig Stapleton, was present at this large gathering and thanked all of the participants, American and French veterans, inhabitants of Normandy, living symbol of the friendship between the United States and France.
In total more than 2.000 people formed the letters of the message on the beach, in a gesture aiming at reinforcing the bonds between France and the United States. French and American giant flags were also displayed on the sand.
" We wanted to send this message of rememberance... We did not forget the sacrifice of all these heroes who died during Second World War", Jean-Pierre Heim declared, member of the committee The French Will Never Forget that organized the event in partnership with the group Collective Respect.
The day began with a ceremony with the cemetery from Colleville-on-Sea ( Apple-brandy ) in the presence of Mr. Stapleton, the members of the Committee The French Will Never Forget, French and American veterans, the members of Collective Respect and many young people.
The Committee The French Will Never Forget was created at the time of the great tensions of the Franco-American relationships at the time of the war in Iraq.
As a reaction, a first operation had been organized on July 4th, 2003: some 60.000 red roses had been deposited on the tombs of all the GIs that died on French ground, in all of the cemeteries.
The event of this Saturday aimed to send a strong message at the time of the 4th of July Independence Day in the United States, a symbolic date for France that was the first country to recognize the independence of the United States.
Photographs taken Saturday by two helicopters for preserving for eternity the message formed at Omaha Beach must be distributed to the United States on July 4th, according to Jean-Pierre Heim
In much the same way, the group Collective Respect joined this operation. On its website, Collectif Respect details its program and it's a beautiful one :
" With this action our goal is to require the Republic to provide for a course in the school curriculum of our children, with a visit to one of the American cemeteries, so that they become aware of the sacrifice of these young soldiers that enabled their Freedom, and that they thus become vaccinated against any anti-Ameican xenophobic feelings.
By doing so Collectif Respect will have filled its duty of memory towards those who died to defend our freedom. We ask you to help us with the success of this operation by registering. On June 30th, 2007, thousands of French will gather on the famous shore of Omaha Beach in Normandy, to honour the memory of the American soldiers, these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice of their life for our freedom.
The participants gathered on the beach will form a human chain making up letters to spell, in a gigantic message intended to the American People on the other side of the Atlantic, the following sentence :
FRANCE WILL NEVER FORGET - THANK YOU AMERICA
Thanks to all these grateful associations and committees that do not forget the sacrifice of those sons of America so that France might live free.
GOD BLESS AMERICA