Small Scale Military Headquarters

Hello guys,

I have uploaded my pics at

http://community.webshots.com/album/290734892RYNILT

I hope you will enjoy them and also find them useful.

Take care.

phil

Sat, you got pretty lucky, seeing all those restored WWII vehicles in the general area where they saw their greatest service. Thanks for the pics!

Here in Europe, we take great pride to honor those who liberate us from nazi occupation.
I was part of the 1st US ID reenactor group and lead the MP team in charge of traffic and security during meeting and so on.
I was also member of the Belgian Military Vehicles Conservation Group committee.

This gave me the opportunity to met US veterants and I am still in close contact with some of them.

Unfortunately, our job as MP was a full time job so that's why I don't have a lot of pictures but believe me, I have seen a lot of things.

Anyway, I am happy you love them.

Take care.

phil

A bunch of my buddies went to the 50th D-Day festivities. I couldn't go but my WC-56 went. Starting in the UK and then to Normandy they were treated great. A side trip to Paris proved to my guys that the French were, well the French..... Then they went to Belgium (to pick up a couple of CCKW's from a surplus dealer) and they were floored by their reception. Whenever they stopped, they couldn't buy a drink, strangers walked up to them, thanked them and insisted on paying their bill. Now most of these guys were in their 20's and 30's and couldn't be confused with the actual veterans but they were Americans, driving WW2 US vehicles and that was enough for these, very nice, people who remembered what we did and gave my guys great memories of Europe, or at least part of it.

TTT

You mean the French are ungrateful ,right? They are not exactly no.1 on the charts here;first for testing nukes on our back doorstep(Muroroa Atoll),then sending a couple of secret agents to Auckland to bomb and sink the Greenpeace vessel 'Rainbow Warrior" (killing a crew member)to stop it protesting.Luckily we caught them pronto,I'ts such a small country that witnesses were able to recount their entire 'itinerary' from their illegal entry by yacht right up to the bombing.!

We belgian are not like french and we don't want to be assimilated to french.

Threetoughtrucks, I know what you mean about the receiption. Even for us belgian it was the same. We were in US uniform and driving US vehicles and were kissed by lovely girls, photographed with people everywhere. We also received lot of things like wine bottles, beer, food and so on. Unbelivable.
The souvenir of liberation is very present here, and not only amongst the older people. That's why US and britains are always welcome.
My vets friends were so surprised of this.

I have so much great souvenirs of this period. I did it because it was a tribute to our liberators. And you can be sure we belgian will always be grateful.

Take care.

phil

A smaller example of what you all are talking about:

I remember a couple of years ago when I studied in England for a few months, that people still laid flowers at the foot of the statue of Gen. Eisenhower in Grosvenor Square near the US Embassy in London.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.