AN UPDATE:
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| American troops arrive in Europe during World War I. |
Bastille Day in France marks the day of French liberation from the monarchy, the day citizens in Paris rose to storm the infamous Bastille Prison to liberate political prisoners there. It is as important a holiday to the French as the Fourth of July is in the United States. The celebration this year also marks the centennial anniversary of Americans entering World War I and officials in the country have woven that into the fabric of the traditional events of the day.
A mantra of troops arriving in France for the "war to end all wars" was "Lafayette we are here." The origins of the statement date all the way back to the American Revolution when the French General the Marquis de Lafayette joined the Revolution as a military officer and later convinced the French government to send troops to aid the American effort. He was instrumental in securing the deciding victory in the war at Yorktown.
Upon returning home Lafayette became a leader in the French Revolution beginning with the storming of the Bastille July 14, 1789. With assistance from Thomas Jefferson he helped write the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen."
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| Lafayette Escadrille Pin. This Lafayette Escadrille pin belonged to Charles Heave "Carl" Dolan Jr., who in 1915 was the 31st volunteer of the Lafayette Escadrille (Escadrille N. 124), which was a group of 38 Americans who volunteered to join the French Flying Corps before the United States entered World War I. (Wikkipedia) |
But even before America officially entered the war, a year earlier, American pilots joined what was called the Lafayette Escadrille, a unit of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique Militaire, largely composed of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.
With that tradition of mutual aid and the acknowledgement of the French support of the American Revolution in place this year, Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to visit France July 14, Bastille Day. Only this time the American invasion could become more of an embarrassment than a triumph. Trump has already cancelled a visit to England citing expected demonstrations against him as the reason. He is even less popular in France, especially after removing the United States from the Paris climate accord. Now as the representative of the United States he looks like he wants to impose his presence on a country's most cherished holiday. To be fair he was invited by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has openly criticized Trump on several occasions over his stand on climate change. The invitation most likely was to acknowledge America's entrance into WWI.
The objections to Trump in Europe, where he is even less popular than in his own country, go well beyond climate concerns and many consider him a danger who could start a war.
Given Trump's record so far in visiting foreign countries, this trip should raise some concerns given the history and current situation in our relations with France. One can only hope Trump will approach it with proper respect and acknowledgement with a sense of the history and when the protests come instead of lashing out, handle them with some modicum of decorum and diplomacy.
Perhaps we will receive an indication in the way he handles our own Independence Day, the first during his term in office.
But given his history it seems necessary to offer our apology to the French ahead of time: "Lafayette, we are sorry."
Lafayette Escadrille, the movie
A footnote: People may question the apparent Swastika, the Nazi symbol, on the headdress in the pin. That symbol was used by Native Americans long before the Nazis adopted it. Here is a brief history of its use. Native American Symbol – Swirling Log
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