Indépendance Day 4 Juillet

[Gaëtan]

Votre Liberté, c'est aussi la notre, Se souvenir appartient au devoir de mémoire, Vive les Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Gaëtan.

Your Freedom is also ours, Remember is the duty of memory, long live the United States of America, Gaëtan.

Merci.

 

[BarbC]

Thank you, and we remember the great contribution France made to us during the American Revolution:


From the outbreak of armed rebellion in 1775, many in France sympathized with the colonists. Young, idealistic French officers like the Marquis de Lafayette volunteered their services and in many cases their personal wealth to help equip, train and lead the fledgling Continental army. The French government hoped to redress the balance of power that resulted from the French humiliation in the Seven Years Wars, which gave considerable economic and military advantages to Britain. While maintaining formal neutrality, France assisted in supplying arms, uniforms and other military supplies to the American colonists.

This clandestine assistance became open after the defeat of General Burgoyne at Saratoga in 1777, which demonstrated the possibility of British defeat in the conflict and led to French recognition of the colonies in February 1778. As a result of the victory of the Continental forces at Saratoga, Benjamin Franklin, who had gone to Paris as ambassador in 1776, was able to negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce and a Treaty of Alliance with France. From this point, French support became increasingly significant. The French extended considerable financial support to the Congressional forces. France also supplied vital military arms and supplies, and loaned money to pay for their purchase.

French military aid was also a decisive factor in the American victory. French land and sea forces fought on the side of the American colonists against the British. At the same time, British and French (and to a lesser extent, Dutch and Spanish) forces fought for colonial wealth and empire around the world. From 1778 through 1783 -- two years after the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown -- French forces fought the British in the West Indies, Africa and India.

From the perspective of the American Revolution, however, the high point of French support is the landing of five battalions of French infantry and artillery in Rhode Island in 1780. In 1781, these French troops under the command of Count Rochambeau marched south to Virginia where they joined Continental forces under Washington and Lafayette. Cornwallis, encamped on the Yorktown peninsula, hoped to be rescued by the British navy. A French fleet under the command of Admiral DeGrasse intercepted and, after a fierce battle lasting several days, defeated the British fleet and forced it to withdraw. This left the French navy to land heavy siege cannon and other supplies and trapped Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula.

At that point, the defeat of Cornwallis was essentially a matter of time. On September 14, 1781, the French and Continental armies completed their 700 mile march and soon thereafter laid siege to the British positions. After a number of weeks and several brief but intense engagements, Cornwallis, besieged on the peninsula by the large and well-equipped French-American army, and stricken by dysentery, determined to surrender his army. On October 19, 1781, the British forces marched out between the silent ranks of the Americans and French, arrayed in parallel lines a mile long, and cast down their arms. http://people.csail.mit.edu/sfelshin/saintonge/frhist.html

 

[FrankD45]

Votre Liberté, c'est aussi la notre, Se souvenir appartient au devoir de mémoire, Vive les Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Gaëtan.

Your Freedom is also ours, Remember is the duty of memory, long live the United States of America, Gaëtan.

Merci.

Merci beaucoup mon ami, et la bonne chance.

Frank

(After four years of study 50 years ago, I finally get to use some French)

 

[gunlovingirl]

Merci vraiment!

 

[Iggy]

Whut they sed, I think!!

 

[handejector]

Thank You!
Vive La France!

 

[JayCeeNC]

Thank you, Gaetan!

Vive la mort,
vive la guerre,
vive le sacre mercenaire!

 

[Wheelgunner840]

Well, that was right neighborly! Thank you sir!

WG840

 

[cowboy117]

Tell your countrymen thanks for the Statue of Liberty and happy 4th. to you and yours.oh,yeah,i am French but don't speak French.

 

[clubleaf206]

Thank you, Gaëtan, it would appear that the spirit of Lafayette still lives today in the hearts of some men of France.

 

[M29since14]

Your Freedom is also ours, Remember is the duty of memory, long live the United States of America, Gaëtan.
Merci.

Merci "back at you" - as we say here in the States. Very nice to receive the good wishes of those from afar.

(PS... We're watching the world's greatest bicycle race today!)

 

[pawncop]

Allow me to add my thanks for the contributions of your country to our freedom. Anytime you are in Texas you have a cold beer (y'all drink it warm like the Brits?) or a glass of wine waitin' for you.