Latest / We Were There at the Normandy Invasion / 11 - We Were There at the Normandy Invasion by Clayton Knight
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Pilot falling into bed. Andre's thoughts had turned to his family,
- 0:06Speaker 1: but his worries were quickly drowned in sleep. When he awoke,
- 0:09Speaker 1: he ran downstairs to see what the sunrise had brought.
- 0:13Speaker 1: It had brought Victor. Andre saw the old man, scrubbed,
- 0:17Speaker 1: pink and bristling. Beside the guard at the door with
- 0:21Speaker 1: Victor was another of the village fathers, a farmer who
- 0:24Speaker 1: had once been a school teacher. Monsieur Blanc was a tall,
- 0:28Speaker 1: square man in a rough tweed suit. I am here,
- 0:32Speaker 1: said Victor, speaking to both Andre and the guard, who
- 0:36Speaker 1: did not understand a word about de Mattia, which demands ettenium.
- 0:41Speaker 1: It is the exasperating fact that then exploded she had
- 0:44Speaker 1: reposes in my Andre cried wait, and hastily translated for
- 0:49Speaker 1: the guard's benefit. Victor remained standing with open mouth. The
- 0:54Speaker 1: guard shouted and slim came running. The captain was swiftly
- 0:57Speaker 1: consulted and a demolition squad rounded up. This took only
- 1:01Speaker 1: a few seconds, since disposing in unexploded shells was an
- 1:05Speaker 1: ever present problem. On being questioned where the dud was,
- 1:10Speaker 1: Victor finished his sentence. In my parlor, neils a bay
- 1:13Speaker 1: window At the last word, the demolition crew started running.
- 1:18Speaker 1: Andrea asked, but his sent to Madame Gisco flightened. She
- 1:24Speaker 1: does not even know it is there, Victor replied. She
- 1:27Speaker 1: has been off helping with some as the children since yesterday.
- 1:31Speaker 1: I was obliged to prepare my own supper, he finished, crossly.
- 1:37Speaker 1: Captain Doeby came to the door and gravely shook hands
- 1:40Speaker 1: with the two frenchmen. He eyed Victor curiously. After a
- 1:44Speaker 1: moment's study of the old man, however, he decided that
- 1:47Speaker 1: to order Victor to stay out of danger would be
- 1:50Speaker 1: a waste of time. It was Monsieur Blanc who spoke.
- 1:54Speaker 1: We came here, sir, he said, a spokesman for the
- 1:57Speaker 1: whole neighborhood. We wish you to offer our This is
- 2:00Speaker 1: in any way your Americans consider helpful. We should also
- 2:03Speaker 1: be grateful if you could tell us what to expect.
- 2:06Speaker 1: Is the way of a future danger to our community,
- 2:09Speaker 1: I think, replied Captain Doby. You people have accepted all
- 2:14Speaker 1: this destruction with fine, brave spirit. The Maquis as well
- 2:18Speaker 1: as all you other French people, have helped the landing
- 2:21Speaker 1: forces more than you will ever know. We Americans want
- 2:25Speaker 1: you to realize that we are grateful. It could have
- 2:28Speaker 1: been much worse for us. Monsieur Blanc put up a hand, please,
- 2:33Speaker 1: Monsieur it is Albert Rasso and Jimalquis have told us
- 2:37Speaker 1: that the Americans are beyond somemel Achroic. The captain said,
- 2:42Speaker 1: his men had been wonderful, but until we dispose of
- 2:45Speaker 1: these Germans, we can't move forward into France beyond this peninsula.
- 2:50Speaker 1: And the Canadians and Britische, asked Monsieur Blanc. They've successfully
- 2:55Speaker 1: landed a lot of troops and tanks. They've penetrated to
- 2:59Speaker 1: a considered depth toward Khan. I hear pomp. Victor said, Bob,
- 3:05Speaker 1: when you have disposed of these bosses of Nazis you
- 3:08Speaker 1: speak of, you do what Captain Doby frowned. We must
- 3:14Speaker 1: throw a line of troops from these beaches straight across
- 3:16Speaker 1: the neck of the peninsula to cut off German reinforcements
- 3:20Speaker 1: when coming to the rescue of the enemy in Scherbourg,
- 3:23Speaker 1: No doubt, frowned Victor, is there not? Caesar Well responds
- 3:28Speaker 1: by doing asai dam's possibility to our fine schuel Porte.
- 3:32Speaker 1: I am afraid they will, agreed. The captain when we
- 3:36Speaker 1: take the port our, US army engineers will have to
- 3:39Speaker 1: repair the docks quickly. We intend to bring in our
- 3:42Speaker 1: main supplies for the liberation of the rest of France
- 3:45Speaker 1: through Schuerburg. When it is free. Get in, Dobey, Monsieur
- 3:50Speaker 1: Blanc said, I suppose no one knows how long si
- 3:54Speaker 1: are Germans will hold out? I am afraid not, replied
- 3:58Speaker 1: Captain Doby. There was a second shaking of hands, and
- 4:02Speaker 1: Victor and Monsieur blancue left. Andrea's mind turned anxiously to
- 4:07Speaker 1: the tail of heavy fighting, which was moving towards Saint
- 4:10Speaker 1: severe Le Vicomte and his family. There he felt more
- 4:14Speaker 1: cut off from them than ever, now that he knew
- 4:17Speaker 1: they were surrounded by such desperate enemies. Has anybody found
- 4:22Speaker 1: that as um and pile yet? He asked Captain Doby.
- 4:26Speaker 1: No sign of him. The captain replied, now after breakfast,
- 4:29Speaker 1: I have a job for Slim, and I think you
- 4:32Speaker 1: and your dog could go along. Half an hour later,
- 4:35Speaker 1: Andrea was telling a delighted PACHIU does he think it
- 4:39Speaker 1: is safe and outful you to come out with me?
- 4:41Speaker 1: But yes, Steely wore on, so behave yourself. The cows
- 4:46Speaker 1: he found had again been milked by the American of
- 4:49Speaker 1: farmer soldiers, and again most of the milk had vanished.
- 4:53Speaker 1: The other barn tours had also been neatly done. He
- 4:57Speaker 1: heard soft sounds in the loft over the calbarn and
- 5:01Speaker 1: crept up the stairs to investigate. A dozen or more
- 5:04Speaker 1: soldiers in the light patrol were sleeping heavily in the
- 5:07Speaker 1: sweet hay full of good gangnoon milk. Andre thought with pleasure.
- 5:13Speaker 1: He tiptoed down the stairs, and, freeing Pachu from his fastening,
- 5:17Speaker 1: answered Slim's impatient Hello God. To find a commissary Damn
- 5:22Speaker 1: somewhere down the road, Slim explained, Wallas says he can't
- 5:25Speaker 1: be far them. Ninetieth division cooks told me about it.
- 5:30Speaker 1: After his long imprisonment. Pochu was blissfully happy. He ran
- 5:34Speaker 1: rings around Slim and Andrea. He found excitement in every
- 5:38Speaker 1: newly blasted hole in the mossy walls and inviting scents everywhere.
- 5:44Speaker 1: Slim marched rapidly along for nearly half a mile, with
- 5:47Speaker 1: Andrea keeping up at a trot. Then Slim said, best
- 5:51Speaker 1: we could begin to ask questions. Now, who round here
- 5:54Speaker 1: knows everything? Andre pointed to a house ahead says, Emsieur Larjean,
- 6:00Speaker 1: he is ACOBLEO, he will know. Monsieur Valjean listened eagerly
- 6:06Speaker 1: to Andre's query. Did he know where there was an
- 6:08Speaker 1: American food dump headquarters? Nearby? Oh? We certam in. The
- 6:14Speaker 1: cobbler responded enthusiastically and gave detailed directions in a flood
- 6:18Speaker 1: of rapid French. Andre said, I know what it is?
- 6:22Speaker 1: He added, me see to Monsieur Valjean, you sure, Slim frowned,
- 6:28Speaker 1: sounded as if it must be on the Russian border?
- 6:31Speaker 1: What all I could make of it? I am sure? Slim?
- 6:34Speaker 1: Andre replied, it is my own schoolhouse. Slim's rapidly swinging
- 6:40Speaker 1: long legs kept Andrea at almost a breathless canter. Because
- 6:44Speaker 1: their minds were silently busy, they did not hear the
- 6:46Speaker 1: word comrade when it was first spoken, but Slim's reaction
- 6:51Speaker 1: to something out of keys stopped him short. Forty five
- 6:54Speaker 1: in hand, Andrea was pushed back before the second louder
- 6:58Speaker 1: comrade gave him warning. End of chapter eleven,