The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/422786
14 SAR MAGAZINE P resident General Lindsey C. Brock and 24 compatriots from the United States joined with members of the Society in France SAR to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the American volunteers' involvement in World War I on the French side in 1914. When Germany declared war against France on Aug. 3, 1914, thousands of American citizens volunteered to join the French armies. Some already resided in France, while others traveled there to fight. They enlisted in the French Foreign Legion to prevent losing their nationality. Our celebration of these American volunteers included lectures, wreath layings, visits to military museums and receptions. We began with a lecture at the Austerlitz Auditorium of the Hôtel des Invalides, which was established by King Louis XIV as a home for disabled war veterans. This was an introduction to the history, organization and management of the French Légion Étrangère. The American-born lecturer was but one of the many legionnaires enrolled today, from about 150 nationalities, including 700 Americans in the recent past. This introduction, illustrated by many photos, was followed by a visit to the World War I military exhibits of the Musée de l'Armée. The displays include one of the 1917 arrival of the American soldiers, known as "Sammies," on the side of the Allies. Close to Hôtel des Invalides is the École Militaire, which was founded in the 18th century by King Louis XV. There, we had the privilege to share lunch with the Parisian garrison's officers. We learned about the history and architecture of this prestigious venue and were treated to a visit to the stables, which house superb horses that help to train officers. This was followed by a short glimpse of the saddlery and its impressive collections of the last three centuries. Leaving Paris center, our group was driven to the slopes of Mont Valérien, the highest hill near Paris, where more than 1,500 veterans of the first World War lay in the American Military Cemetery. A wreath was laid after a moving presentation on these young men's sacrifices. The day was concluded with our dispersing to various French members' families, who treated us to typical French dinners. The next day saw us at Meaux, where the victorious French counterattack known as Bataille de la Marne (Sept. 5-25, 1914) began after disastrous initial battles at the French borders. After laying a wreath at the American memorial, we visited the exceptional exhibits of artifacts at the Musée de la Grande Guerre, which included airplanes, taxis de la Marne, uniforms, replicas of trenches and soldiers' equipment. A reception was set up for us at the City Hall by the Maire, who welcomed us personally and presented a replication of the ball of Nov. 11, 1918, which took place in the hall to celebrate the end of the war. At that ball, the local population had mixed with American and French combatants. That afternoon, in the Royal Château de Vincennes, which houses the French military archives, we viewed personal files of volunteers among many other documents of WW1, along with a few maps dating from the French intervention in the Yorktown campaign of the Revolutionary War. A gala dinner with the new American Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy had been organized by the French Society at the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée, where the higher-ranked officers met during 1917-1921, among them Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing and the 1918 commander in chief of the Allied Forces, Maréchal Foch. Our third day in France was the best, as we spent the day at Puy du Fou near Angers in Vendée. Puy du Fou was named the "World's Best Theme Park" by the Thea Classic Awards in 2012. We saw three of the park's attractions, including spectacular horseback acrobats, a Viking ship emerging from the sea with its living combatants, a wild bird show, and geese escorting an ultralight aircraft while keeping a V-shaped formation. Before dinner, we enjoyed a moving reception with our delegation, escorted by Puy du Fou creator Philippe de Villiers and the park's president, Nicolas de Villiers, in a procession between two ranks of young uniformed children bearing torches to the podium. Three plaques were unveiled at the ceremony to honor: American Volunteers of 1914 Commemorations in Paris, September10-14 t t t t t t t t t t Hôtel des Invalides