kerouac2

Everybody who saw "Is Paris Burning?" knows that this was an exciting event and was started by the citizens of Paris even though the Allied command was against the idea. They were worried (among other things) about the annoyance of having to feed the city if it was liberated. Nevertheless, the Parisians forced the hand of the Allied forces, and they were morally obliged to rush into Paris themselves. The Americans worried about totally strange things. When they started filming the triumphant French and British troops also arriving in the city, they demanded that all African and Indian soldiers remain out of camera range. Sad but true.

Anyway, there was an older museum, but a brand new Museum of the Liberation of Paris opens on 25 August 2019 at Denfert-Rochereau, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the city. Those of you who have seen it all (and we are numerous, especially me, since I have been living in Paris since I was 20 years old, long ago) finally have a new thing to see. I know that I will certainly pay a visit before the end of the year.

Musée Libération Leclerc Moulin

ajGoes

I attended the massive commemoration ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the Liberation in the Place de la Concorde. I was just nine years old and was not overly excited by the endless speeches in a language I didn't understand. An outline in fireworks of each person being commemorated was supposed to go off when their name was first mentioned, but they accidentally all went off at once. That was impressive!

The speeches were followed by an enormous fireworks display which had to be interrupted when it was completely obscured by its own smoke.

In the interest of postwar amity, the city stopped holding huge commemorations. I witnessed the last one.

Goldorak

Orange County Commuter