I'd laugh if this wasn't so sad:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3596776.stm

Paris marks liberation from Nazis
(FROM THE BBC)

The flag raising marked emotional events in 1944
Celebrations have started in Paris to mark the 60th anniversary of the city's liberation in World War II.
On Wednesday, six firefighters raised the French flag on the Eiffel Tower in a re-enactment of events in 1944.

Sixty years ago, the Nazi troops who had occupied the French capital for four years, surrendered.

Thousands of people have turned out to watch the military parades and, later, a concert in Notre Dame cathedral will continue the celebrations.

The BBC's Peter Biles says the French attach special significance to the liberation of Paris - because, they say, they freed themselves.

The city's liberation of Paris came less than three months after the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy.

But Parisians paid a heavy price for their 10-day uprising against the Germans. More than 1,000 civilians - including members of the French resistance - were killed.

Allied relations

The liberation of Paris was a hugely symbolic event in helping to rid France of the shame of four years of collaboration with the Nazis.

The German forces had torn down the French tricolour from the Eiffel Tower when they arrived in the city.

Robert Duriaux, the son of Firefighter Henri Duriaux who hoisted the flag in 1944, performed the same role in the re-enactment on Wednesday.

Military parades and reconstructions of the events of 60 years ago were also taking place in the city.

French President Jacques Chirac inspected the troops and presented medals to veterans to commemorate their part in the city's liberation. He also walked through the crowds, shaking hands with some of the thousands who have turned out.

The words spoken by General Charles de Gaulle, who led the anti-Nazi French forces, were to be repeated at another ceremony later on Wednesday: "Paris. Paris outraged. Paris broken. Paris martyred. But Paris liberated."

Two columns of vehicles, one French and one American, will make their way through French capital.

Our correspondent says there will be some acknowledgement of the part that Allied forces played in the liberation of Paris, but unlike D-Day, this anniversary will be a largely French celebration - a tribute to the men and women whose courage restored France's national pride.

Thousands of Parisians are also expected to get into the party mood by dressing up in 1940s clothes for a party at the Place de Bastille.

What a silly question, it was Hitler and the National Socialists who liberated Paris....

Quoted: What a silly question, it was Hitler and the National Socialists who liberated Paris....

Ha ha ha...

It was the British and US troops that freed Paris. However, freedom only lasted during the time the Allies went through Paris. Afterwords, it fell into France's hands.

To me this line of thought is like saying I can drive from here to Seattle because I built my driveway.

DEGAUL!! DE-GAUL!!

Quoted: French school children are taught that the Vichy collaborators were not "the real French Government" that the "real French government" was with DeGaulle in exhile. Oh and everyone was in the resistance

That's the impression I get from speaking with French nationals as well.

France is so stupid

According to most WWII histories, a column of free french troops managed to get to paris ever so slightly in front of the rest of the allied forces, with the exception of a few recon units...

Telly Salvalas and Carol O'Connor freed Paris?

Huh...whoed thunk it?

I do know who will be the next liberator of France,
Osama Bin Laden of course
Fucking French Pussies

Quoted: France is so stupid

Worst than that............France is a stain on Europe. I look forword to tossing a few when Chirac is planted in th ground....the most vile and disgusting opportunist in nearly 60 years.

Quoted: French school children are taught that the Vichy collaborators were not "the real French Government" that the "real French government" was with DeGaulle in exhile. Oh and everyone was in the resistance

I think there may have been about 2,000 or so French men and women in the resistance.  There were however, about 55,000 Frenchmen in the Malice to hunt them down. There were also a lot serving in the SS.  They are about the most spineless bunch I've ever seen.  Kerry should feel right at home there.

To save French face (what a waste of energy..) the Allies allowed a column of French tankers (in American-supplied tanks) to enter the city as the first part of the column entering Paris. It was a PR gesture. But battles were still raging outside of Paris, and GIs and Tommies were dying to give back the French their "freedom".

Ernst Juenger, the decorated WW1 veteran of the German army, and a anti-Nazi writer, served on the general staff of the German army in Paris during the Occupation. His diaries from that time show a Paris more than willing to get along with the Germans. Artists, movie stars, singers, writers, intellectuals, business people, politicians, all got on the pro-German bandwagon. They all collaborated, including the Communists, until Hitler invaded the USSR in June 1941. Then the Communists began a campaign of sabotage, but had little help from the populace, until the spring of 1944, when it was apparent the Allies were coming back. the suddenly everybody became a "hero"....

If anybody "liberated" Paris, it was the German general Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of Greater Paris, who disobeyed Hitler's express order to blow up and set fire to Paris. He left the Parisians and the world a Paris to live in, instead of a field of rubble, such as Warsaw, which had been leveled by the Nazis. He was, in his own way, a hero for taking the course he did.

My cousin was a bombadier in a B17 during the War, and he was shot down over France. He said that
as he dropped down into a field, he could see movement at the edge of the field, so he pulled his .45,
and was trying to decide whether to fight and run, or just give up. It turns out, it was a local girl,
and she did get him to some Resistance fighters, who eventually got him back to Allied lines.

As a reward for helping save his life, he gave the girl his parachute, which she was thrilled to get.
She told him that she could make enough underwear out of it to last her a long time!

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Let France delude themselves into believing that they liberated themselves. Let them believe that they were all resistance fighters and that none of them were collaborators. They haven't learned a thing about their own cowardice, their own ineptness, and their inability to accept reality.

They will repeat the same mistakes as they have done in the past. I just hope that when they do it the next time that America will not shed one drop of blood to save those ungrateful bastards from themselves.

Why do they plant trees along the roads in France?
So that the Germans can march in the shade.

Our correspondent says there will be some acknowledgement of the part that Allied forces played in the liberation of Paris

This is very sad, indeed.

Quoted: Why do they plant trees along the roads in France? So that the Germans can march in the shade.

Why did they cut the trees down?
AQ likes to march in the sun.

I forgot to tell you.

This was a stupid question.

Before he was in Cambodia, John Kerry freed France......sheesh

Typical French BS. The Brits and US forces fight the hard fights against the Nazi armys in France and the French claim they liberated Paris. They was nothing but a very small garrison forse there of Germans anyway. Otherwise the frog eaters would of got a ass-kickin from the Germans ounce more.  
They are the most arrogant bunch of bastards I have every met.

Quoted: French school children are taught that the Vichy collaborators were not "the real French Government" that the "real French government" was with DeGaulle in exhile. Oh and everyone was in the resistance

Well, US school kids are taught that every US colonial was fighting against the Brits for independence.....same sort of historical fact manipulation......

Quoted: Quoted: French school children are taught that the Vichy collaborators were not "the real French Government" that the "real French government" was with DeGaulle in exhile. Oh and everyone was in the resistance Well, US school kids are taught that every US colonial was fighting against the Brits for independence....

Maybe in NY schools, but that isn't the history I learned.

The US Army forces had to stop short of gay Paris in order to let I believe the 2nd French Armored "liberate" the city.  

I may not be correct on the unit, but I believe the idea is correct.

But Parisians paid a heavy price for their 10-day uprising against the Germans. More than 1,000 civilians - including members of the French resistance - were killed.

What BULLSHIT.  Only 1000 dead in thier liberation of Paris? What all did they liberate? A Starbucks?

From the Warsaw Uprising:
Final casualties were over 15,000 dead or missing, 5,000 wounded, and 200,000 Polish civilians dead. On the German side there were an estimated 16,000 dead and 9,000 wounded.

Now THAT is an attempt at libertation. The one fucking Pole has more heart and love for freedom than all of France.

The Allied High Command didn't even tell DeGaulle about D-Day until the last minute (a few days notice, I think).  He was furious and demanded French troops be allowed to hit the beaches with the other Allied troops.  His request was denied.

The US Army forces had to stop short of gay Paris in order to let I believe the 2nd French Armored "liberate" the city. I may not be correct on the unit, but I believe the idea is correct.

The Allied High Command didn't even tell DeGaulle about D-Day until the last minute (a few days notice, I think). He was furious and demanded French troops be allowed to hit the beaches with the other Allied troops. His request was denied.

the same things happened more than once in the north african campaign also. the french were generally considered unfit for guard duty. all i can say is that i hope wwII is the last time we untie france from the tree and help her find her panties when germany has a go at her. if it wasn't for GI condoms they might have some decent people over there.

LOL, But the French Had the Maginot Line to hide behind!

I can't believe they actually said this,but on the radio they had one of those "ABC news breaks" at the bottom of the hour and were talking about the celebration in France of the liberation of Paris.

They talked about what happened with the allies,ie liberation,then at the end of the news flash they said that the actual initial entrance of allied troops(French troops) into the city was staged for the French citizens to relieve the shame of surrender and alleviate the guilt of several years of collaboration...

LOL

Phuckin losers.

First time I can recall hearing the Gods honest truth about one of our great historical allies the French,Germans or Russians...Since when?[rolls eyes]

Usually in the media they are so much better than us for their peace loving ways.