Paris Never Leaves You: a story of love and the cost of survival

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman is the story of Charlotte Foret who survived the Paris Occupation in WWII with her young daughter, Vivi to escape to New York City where she works as an editor for a publishing company. She receives a letter from someone she has no desire to speak to, wanting the past to remain the past, she ignores it. Vivi is now 14 year and has many questions about their life in Paris, the war and her father who died in battle. Charlotte is unsure how to answer her questions as she desperately wants to leave the past in the past. The alternates between Paris, 1944 and New York City, 1954, as she tries to leave the past in the past, a story she desperately wishes would be ignored. She is no stranger to hardship, as she is a survivor. Is her most challenging situation coming? What will her survival cost her? Will she be forced to tell the story she is so reluctant to reveal? The war may be over, but will the past stay in the past?

Paris Never Leaves You is a beautiful story of resilience, love, and impossible choices for survival. Alternating seamlessly between 1944 and 1954, the reader is taken on a journey of an extraordinary struggle to survive as Charlotte is faced with choices many of us hope we never have to make. The switch between timelines is very subtle that if you are not paying attention you will miss it. This book is a story that you must take your time with and take in the imagery that Ms. Feldman paints and the story she weaves, the twists and turns. It is not the story one would expect. Paris Never Leaves You is a change from the WWII stories I have read before. I enjoyed each character as they felt real with their virtues and faults. I loved the relationship between Charlotte and Vivi. At times it was like a normal mother-teenage daughter relationship and at others, it was a very unique relationship. It leaves you wondering what you would have done if you were in Charlotte’s shoes. I highly recommend Paris Never Leaves You.

Paris Never Leaves You

is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook

D Day: 75th anniversary of the turning point in World War II

Today marks the 75^th Anniversary of D Day. The Normandy Invasion in which Allied forces stormed the beach and began the turning of the tide of World War II. I heard on the news last month that most students in America do not know or have never heard of D Day. The idea that younger generations do not know this important piece of history deeply saddens me. While it is impossible to know every event in history, there are certain events that everyone should know and remember. D Day is definitely one of those events. Also known as Operation Overlord, the Allied Invasion of Normandy would be the largest seaborne invasion in history and began the liberation of German-occupied France and later the rest of Europe. While there is so much details surrounding the events leading to and including D Day, I will focus on the main facts. The film, Saving Private Ryan (1998), features the invasion with great detail. The D Day War Memorial has been dedicated to the efforts of the Allied forces and their role in the push to victory.

The original date for the invasion was June 5, 1944. Due to bad weather, it was delayed for the next day. Dawn on June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops were already on the ground behind enemy lines securing bridges and exit roads. The amphibious invasion began at 6:30 am. Strong winds blew many of the landing crafts off course and the men landed under heavy fire from the cliffs above as well as mine and other obstacles on the beach. The invasion target 50 mile stretch of the Normandy coast. Divided up into 5 sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture the Gold, Juno and Sword beaches as well as Americans at Utah beach. However, Americans at Omaha beach faced the most resistance, resulting in the heaviest casualties. Only two beaches, Juno and Gold, were linked on the first day. By June 12, all five beaches were linked. And the push toward inland began.

The first 27 minutes of Saving Private Ryan depicts the intensity of the fighting of the Omaha Beach assault. Director Steven Spielberg wanted historical representation of the D Day events. The details seen in the film are very close to the historical record. There were many stories during its theatrical run of theaters needed to stop the film to allow viewers to collect themselves as the intensity of the opening scenes were too much. Many WWII vets stated that the film was the most realistic depiction of combat they had seen in a movie (Basinger, 1998). It was so realistic that combat vets of D-Day and the Vietnam left the theaters after watching the opening scenes and refused to watch the rest of the film. Vets visits to posttraumatic stress disorder counselors rose after the film’s release and many counselors advised the most psychological vulnerable veterans to avoid watching the film (Halton, 1998). According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, a nationwide hotline was set up for veterans who were affected by the film and within two weeks of its release, there were over 170 calls (McCray, 1998). Saving Private Ryan was inspired by the story of the Niland brothers from Tonawanda, New York. Frederick “Fritz” Niland (1920-1983) was a sergeant in the 501^st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101^st Airborne. He lost two of his brothers, Preston (1915-1944) and Robert (1919-1944), who were killed in action in the Normandy Invasion. A third brother, Edward (1912-1984) was originally believed to be killed in action but later was discovered in a Japanese POW camp in Burma.

The National D Day Memorial, in Bedford, Virginia, was dedicated on June 6, 2001 by President George W. Bush. According to the foundation which operates the memorial, the memorial is “In tribute to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of Allied Forces on D Day June 6, 1944” (National D Day Memorial). The memorial receives an average of 60,000 visitors a year. “At its center stands a monumental forty-four foot tall arch, embellished by the military name, “Overlord,” that was given to the crucial operation. The arch is highlighted by a reflecting pool that surrounds a captivating scene that is symbolic of the arduous trudge soldiers made onto the blood stained beaches of Normandy, France” (National D Day Memorial). The site of Bedford was chosen in memory of the Bedford Boys. Thirty-four Virginia National Guard soldiers from the town were part of the invasion. Nineteen would be killed during the first day and 4 more would be killed during the rest of the campaign. I visited the memorial in 2003 and it was a powerful experience. When I was there, there weren’t many people walking around, so the quiet stillness added to the solemnness of the memorial. I was taken on a tour of the memorial by a volunteer veteran who explained the significance of the various statues and displays. I highly recommend visiting the memorial if you ever travel to the area.

In conclusion, D Day is an important event to remember, not just for its historical significance in World War II, but for the men who fought on that day, those who died on those beaches, and those who survived to tell their stories. Saving Private Ryan gives us as accurate depiction of the battle as possible. Even after watching the film many times since its release, the opening 27 minutes still has an emotional impact. The National D Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia is a site many need to visit.

References

Basinger, Jeanine (October 1998). "Translating War: The Combat Film Genre and Saving Private Ryan". Perspectives, the Newsmagazine of the American Historical Association.

Halton, Beau (August 15, 1998). "'Saving Private Ryan' is too real for some". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. Retrieved June 2, 2019.

McCrary, Lacy (August 6, 1998). "Watching `Private Ryan,' Veterans Relive The Horrors Years From Omaha Beach, Pain Lingers". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Retrieved June 2, 2019.

National D Day Memorial. www.dday.org. Retrieved June 2, 2019.

The Great Escape: more than just a movie

Today marks the anniversary of The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III, a prisoner of war camp during World War III. Stalag Luft III was located in the German province of Lower Silesia near Sagan (now Zagan, Poland). It housed captured air force servicemen and is best known for two prisoner escapes that took place by tunneling. The most well-known is The Great Escape in 1944. The escape was made famous by the book (1950) written by Paul Brickhill and the movie (1963) starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, David McCallum, and Charles Bronson.

 In the spring of 1943, Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, RAF conceived a plan for a major escape from the camp. He was able to instill a passionate determination into every man for their full energy into the escape. The plan included the digging of multiple tunnels in case the German guards discovered one of them. He proposed to get 200 men out with civilian clothes and forged papers. More than 600 prisoners were involved in the construction of the tunnels. One tunnel, “Tom” began in a darkened corner next to a stove chimney. Another tunnel, “Dick,” had an entrance which was carefully hidden in a drain stump in a washroom. The third tunnel, “Harry,” began under a stove. Each tunnel was dug long enough to end up deep into the forest next to the camp. The tunnels were ready by early 1944.

They wanted for a moonless night for a cover of complete darkness. Friday, March 24, the escape attempt began. The first 100 men were known as “serial offenders,” those who could speak German, had a history of escapes plus 70 men who worked on the tunnels. The second 100 men were known as “hard-assers” because they were considered to have little chance of success because they were required to travel by night and spoke little or no German. The escape only allowed 10 men per hour. Of the 200 plan escapees, 76 managed to escape.73 were eventually recaptured with 3 being completely successful. These men were Per Bergsland, Norwegian pilot of No. 332 Squadron, RAF, Jens Muller, Norwegian pilot of No. 331 Squadron, RAF, and Bram van der Stok, Dutch pilot of No. 41 Squadron, RAF.

The 73 men who were recaptured faced fierce punishment. Hitler order their executions as an example to other prisoners. Several officers of the camp argued against the executions as a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Hitler relented and ordered the execution of more than half of the recaptured escapees. 50 men would be executed including the mastermind, Roger Bushell. Brickhill, who would later write about the escape, was an Australian born Spitfire pilot. He was known as a “stooge” during the escape. He was part of a relay team who alerted prisoners that German search teams had entered the camp. Brickhill suffered from claustrophobia and was unable to travel the tunnel. He would claim that this phobia probably saved his life. He would write the book which would bring the incident to wide public attention.

Memorial markers are placed at the entrances and exits of each tunnel as well as a memorial remembering the 50 men who lost their lives. While the film, “The Great Escape” took many compromises for commercial appeal, it was based on real events and some of the characters’ names were fictitious but amalgams of the real men involved in the escape attempt. Everyone remembers the big events of World War II. Let’s remember these men’s attempt at freedom for their courage and bravery, especially the fifty men who lost their lives.