On a tour of England, Wales and Scotland
Community
Contributors to this thread:
At the beginning of June my wife and I were on a tour of England, Wales and Scotland. Most of the people on the tour were Australians, Canadians and Englishmen. My wife was talking to an Englishman (I wasn't there to hear him make this comment) and he said that most countries hate Americans. If only I would have been there I would have gone off on him. I would have asked him why I spent three years of my life protecting his country, why is there an American cemetery outside of Cambridge for American fliers that were killed during WWII, and if he ever tried thanking Americans for helping England during the war so that they could continue to speak English instead of German. Also, how many cemeteries are there in America for English soldiers that helped our country during wars? Damn blokes, just don't know their history.
American Cemetery, Normandy, France........
Dear Europe: Next time you get in a bind....LOSE OUR NUMBER!
American Cemetery, Normandy, France........
Dear Europe: Next time you get in a bind....LOSE OUR NUMBER!
Which part of Europe was he from? The part who's ass we kicked, or the part who's ass we saved?
My father was there. He went into Normandy as the 2nd Battalion's Communications Officer.
This is the grave of Roy, whom Dad replaced after Roy was KIA.
After Roy was KIA, dad became the E Company Commander, but not for long. He was WIA one or two days later but survived.
By the best reckoning on the many men of E Company I talked with in my research, there were at least FIVE E Company Commanders in Normandy before they returned to England in early July, 1944 to prepare for the invasion of The Netherlands, "Operation Market Garden," as memorialized in the movie, "A Bridge Too Far."
My Uncle was 82nd Airborne, Glider Regiment also. He was in the glider landing in Sicily and Normandy and was wounded when a shell hit a wall and he was buried under it. That was the end of the war for him. He spent the rest of his life going in and out of VA hospitals.
I traveled to Normandy and walked every bit of it. The silence is deafening.
Ya for all the griping and bad mouthing of America by foreign nationals, it’s still on the top of their list of countries for the legal and the illegal ones to want or try to get to. Their mantra is “your country sucks but gimme gimme !”
My uncle (now deceased) made the jump on D-Day and survived. He traveled back to Normandy in '94 for the 50th. reunion of American vets and brought back a small bag of Omaha beach sand. I still have it. What a terrific gift! But I do not lose sight of the greater gift they all gave in their sacrifice.
I was on the same type of tour a couple of years ago. Like Bighorn it was mostly Kiwi's, Aussies, and Canadians. My wife and I were the only Americans on the tour.
The tour guide was an ex RAF B-57 Canberra Crewmember, and because I was a fellow military aviator was invited to meet with him and a pilot friend of his on one of our stops. His pilot buddy had just been made a base commander and invited the wife and I a tour of the base. Unfortunately we didn't have time for it. I did get some hazing about being in helicopters. One of the Aussies was fan of military aircraft, so we hit it off and will be going to see him and his wife this next year.
Terry
I had a short conversation with a German National from Berlin yesterday...told me he always attends the joint American-German celebrations in his home Country, and let me know how much he appreciates the fact that we support and help protect his Country.
Wasn't fond of Angela Merkel, or the fact that millions of Euros have been funnelled into East Berlin after the wall came down, at the expense of the taxpayers on the West side.
It's encouraging to meet like-minded folks from around the World!
I've been fortunate to have traveled a little bit in other countries. I think I'm up to 20 some at this point in time. Some of them just for a day or so. But I have yet (knock on wood) to have a negative experience in any country I've traveled. I've tried hard to discern attitudes towards myself and America while traveling. Not always easy, because so many of the people you meet as a tourist are depending on you for their livelihood.
I spent about 2 months in Europe in 2004 as a student and had some really neat experiences. Stayed in hostels and spent some time around other travelers, always other Europeans, Canadians, Kiwis or Aussies. Never had a negative experience
Some of the best contact with others was on a 3 day mini-bus tour of the Scottish highlands. There was a decent-sized group from South Africa, several Aussies, and a couple English. Only 2 Americans. Never a negative inference towards Americans at all. Mind you, this was after the wildly unpopular invasion of Iraq as well
I'm sure there are plenty of people all over that do hate Americans. But my personal belief is that most citizens of other countries don't have any hate towards American citizens. Maybe the media in those countries would portray it differently, but by and large, I believe I could get along with most citizens of most other countries (with a few exceptions :) )
Bighorn just ask him why the canadians all call him a wanker.