Remarks
by Joseph Zeller and Alain Heurtaux, French visitors from Forbach, France at
the dedication of the Trailblazer monument at Ft. Benning, GA, 6 October 1997.
Translated from the original French and presented by John Nothnagle.
My good friends, I am most pleased to speak to you
today. My friend Alain Heurtaux and I are honored by your warm welcome on the
occasion of the dedication of this monument to the Trailblazers. We have come as
representatives of our liberated people to be present at this ceremony and to
pay homage to you veterans of the 70th Infantry Division who came to Europe to
free us from the Nazi yoke.
Two years ago, inspired by Charles Kelly, we
erected a monument to your glories on Spicheren Heights, an historic site on the
Franco-German border. On the 50th anniversary of VE-day, a large delegation of
veterans of the 70th Division attended the dedication of that monument on an
historic visit that reinforced our bonds of friendship. The monument erected
here at Fort Benning is intended to remind you and future generations of the
sacrifices of your comrades who fell in the flower of their youth to give back
to us our dignity and our freedom. Let us not forget your comrades of the 70th
who for reasons of health or other cannot be here. I think of Paul Therion, whom
I have met many times, and who, I am sure, is here in spirit . I would like to
thank for their friendship those of you I have met in France as well as those
that have written to me of their contributions to the liberation of my native
land. My thanks to you.
