Pasport.....?

Question

an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously

Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'

The American said, "'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.

"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!'

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, "'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach in 1944 to liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'

;-)

Answer 1

Neither your anti-French nonsense nor the consistent shoddy anti-Americanism of one of the previous respondents is justified.

France has been America's ally since the days of the Revolutionary War and it is fair to say that America might not exist if it had not been for a French fleet and a French army coming to stand side by side with Washington and his troops at Yorktown.

It was for that reason that when General Pershing  arrived in Europe during the first World War with the American Expeditionary Force he said "Lafayette, we are here" to acknowledge the eternal debt that America owes France.

Nor does France fail to acknowledge the vital role Americans played in both world wars. Beneath the Arc de Triomphe lies the French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At this most sacred place there is a tribute to the American troops who died fighting alongside their French comrades.

And as for the general calumny about French courage let me point out the following numbers to you:

Casualties World War I

United States 117,465 (0.1% of the population)

France 1,897,800 (4.8% of the population)

Casualties World War II

United States 418,500 (0.32% of population)

France 562,000 (1.35% of population)

In other words, as a percentage of population, the French lost 48 times more citizens killed in WWI and more than 4 times as many killed in WWII.

In World War I, French combat deaths as a percentage of those mobilized were the highest of any country in the war. More than 16 of every 100 French soldiers died in battle. The comparable figure for the United States was less than 3.

Perhaps it is time for those Americans who insult our oldest ally to stop and actually think about the basis of what they are saying.

Answer 2

um, this isn't a question.

Answer 3

And your question is?

Answer 4

And what??? Get a life man (And say THANK YOU, FRANCE, FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE).

And you're a big ignorant because the first sodiers who came ashore on the Normandy beach were french (commando Kieffer).

Bye.

Answer 5

Jim W - yes I remember - I was employee in the customs - and the hero is you - of course -

More seriously you'll NEVER see me in your country, because as a european your customs require my ten finger prints + a list of 38 illegal questions on my privacy - in 2008 - I personally do not treat my "friends" like this -