{"id":24964,"date":"2024-09-02T16:31:40","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T16:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.francaisdeletranger.org\/en\/?p=24964"},"modified":"2024-10-14T19:37:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T19:37:08","slug":"mdfde-france-usa-saving-democracy-80th-anniversary-of-the-provence-landings-the-american-provence-d-day80-mdfdefriendshipmercitrain75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.francaisdeletranger.org\/en\/2024\/09\/02\/mdfde-france-usa-saving-democracy-80th-anniversary-of-the-provence-landings-the-american-provence-d-day80-mdfdefriendshipmercitrain75\/","title":{"rendered":"MDFDE\/FRANCE-USA: SAVING DEMOCRACY: 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROVENCE LANDINGS: THE AMERICAN PROVENCE #D-DAY80 #MDFDEFriendshipMerciTrain75"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATED on 10\/14\/2024:<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Re: Very Exciting News <\/strong>about Frederic MARTY’s upcoming Exhibition<\/span>\u00a0“La Provence Am\u00e9ricaine”\/”The American Provence” opening this Thursday, October 17, 2024 at Musee Edgar MELIK Museum in Cabries, France, and running until January 19, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

“A French-American Cultural Collaboration between\u00a0the U.S. Army Heritage & Education<\/span> Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA and the\u00a0AIX-MARSEILLE-PROVENCE<\/span> METROPOLIS re: the upcoming French Exhibition “La Provence Am\u00e9ricaine”\/”The American Provence.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Brigadier-General John Paul RATAY<\/strong> (1893-1980), commanding the U.S.\u00a0Delta Base<\/span> Section <\/span><\/em>in\u00a0Miramas, France (1944-1946).<\/span> https:\/\/generals.dk\/general\/Ratay\/John_Paul\/USA.html<\/a><\/p>\n

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Dear MDFDE and Friends of the “Merci Train,”<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the name of French-American scientific collaboration and cultural relations, the MDFDE is very excited to inform you our friend Ms. Molly BOMPANE, Curator and Chief of Exhibitions at the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA, gave Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric MARTY and I free access to their John P. RATAY Collection — a serie of photos taken<\/span> at the Miramas camp but also in Marseille and in North Africa (1944-1947) never before published in France — along with permission for Frederic to use the said pictures for his fantastic Exhibition.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, Frederic Marty and I are extremely grateful to Ms. Bompane and the U.S.<\/span> Army Heritage & Education Center (USAHEC)<\/span> <\/span>for such kind gesture and friendship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best,<\/span><\/p>\n

Elisabeth Jenssen<\/span><\/p>\n

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1944 – 2024<\/h1>\n

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THE LESLEY J. MCNAIR\u00a0 THEATER IN CALLAS, FRANCE (1945)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Calas (Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne), France, June 19, 1945:<\/strong> the Lesley J. McNair open-air theater is the largest of all those built in transit camps. The bleachers, which can seat up to 17,000 people, are set in a valley naturally predisposed to shows and film screenings. (John Vergis \/ Archives Municipales de Marseille, 129 Fi 172)<\/p>\n

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Dear MDFDE and Friends of the “Merci Train,”<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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As Marseille celebrated, last week, the 80th Anniversary of its Liberation <\/strong>with a two-day celebration (August 27-28) of\u00a0the Provence Landings (August 15-28, 1944) — THE<\/strong> SECOND D-DAY<\/strong>, the most successful large-scale Allied operation of the entire World War II — launched in the south of France via “Operation Dragoon” (August 15, 1944), by the French and Allied Armies, leading to Nazi Germany’s capitulation on August 28, 1944.<\/p>\n

I am thrilled to introduce you to a friend of mine, Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric MARTY<\/strong>, a French archaeologist and project manager at the AIX-MARSEILLE-PROVENCE METROPOLIS.\u00a0<\/strong>One of Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric MARTY<\/strong>\u00a0‘s most important archaeological works over the years was the rediscovery in 2013 of the U.S. camp for German prisoners of war (POWs) set during and post-WWII at Miramas (Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne), about 63 km from Marseille, in the south of France.<\/p>\n

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Based on Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric MARTY’s research<\/strong>, he and his Team have created a unique exhibition covering the complete story of the American presence in Provence under the leadership of\u00a0U. S. Brigadier\u00a0General John P. RATAY<\/strong>, Deputy G-2 of the Western Task Force as Deputy in the North African Landings (November 1942), a crucial part of the Allied operations in North Africa, who, thereafter, became successively\u00a0 commander of the Atlantic Base Section in Morocco – the 20th Port Training Command in North Africa – the Northern Base Section in Corsica (1944) and the General Delta Base Section, Southern Line of Communications, in southern France (1944-1946).\u00a0This must-see exhibition will be running from October 17, 2024, to January 19, 2025 at the Edgar M\u00e9lik Museum<\/strong> in Cabri\u00e8s (Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne), about 58 km from Miramas.<\/p>\n

To help us better understand the pivotal role played by the United States in the Liberation and Reconstruction of Provence post-WWII — a\u00a0less-known human saga of the Provence Landings which surely deserves as much study and coverage as the Normandy Landings — here is a short presentation of the said upcoming AIX-MARSEILLE-PROVENCE-METROPOLIS<\/strong>\u00a0 Exhibition<\/strong> by Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric MARTY.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kindest regards to all,<\/p>\n

Elisabeth Jenssen Founder & President<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friends of Laperouse USA<\/p>\n

Chair, #MDFDEFriendshipMerciTrain75<\/p>\n

Le Mouvement des Fran\u00e7ais de l’\u00c9tranger (MDFDE) French and Francophones Abroad<\/p>\n

Liaison of the American Legion (USA-Europe) for the Friendship Train and the Merci Train<\/p>\n

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Exhibition:<\/span> The American<\/span> Provence.<\/span><\/h1>\n

From Liberation<\/span> to Reconstruction<\/span> (1944<\/span>-1947)<\/span><\/h1>\n

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COMMEMORATING THE 80th ANNIVERSARY <\/strong><\/h2>\n

OF THE LIBERATION OF PROVENCE<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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2024 IS A GREAT DATE IN HISTORY with the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the Provence landings and the Liberation.<\/strong>\u00a0This will be complimented by additional commemorations of the Victory in Europe in 2025. The Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis has chosen to celebrate this year event from a unique perspective, namely an archaeological exhibition that will be running at the Edgar M\u00e9lik Museum in Cabri\u00e8s (France) from October 17, 2024 to January 19, 2025.<\/p>\n

The Landing on the Var coast\u00a0— the Mediterranean Landing — on August 15, 1944,<\/strong> was primarily a U. S. operation with the help, mostly at sea, of the British forces and, to a lesser degree, the French Army. Its success was instantaneous: the American Army, advancing towards the Rhone Valley, thus liberated inland Provence in ten days. However, the main battles of the Provence campaign took place in Toulon and Marseille between August 19 and August 28, 1944. The said campaign was mainly led by diverse French forces under\u00a0Gen. Jean de Lattre de Tassigny<\/span><\/b>, commander\u00a0of the highly composite Army B, a corps mostly made <\/span>up of the Empire, colonial troops from North Africa backed by the Resistance groups (the Forces Fran\u00e7aises de l\u2019Int\u00e9rieur). However, the French Army, integrated into the American 7th Army, depended entirely on the equipment provided by the United States for its operations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The American Army wasted no time<\/strong> in setting up the logistics to fully supply the Allied units leading<\/span>\u00a0the offensive up the Rhone valley. Eager to end the war in Europe so its military units could be redeployed to the Pacific theater, from 1944 to 1946\u00a0<\/span>the U.S. Army built\u00a0the\u00a0largest logistical facilities in the European theater throughout Marseille and all the neighboring towns in its area (Crau, Etang de Berre, Aix-en-Provence region…)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Cohabitation between local residents and hundreds of thousands of Americans then in transit there left traces in the people’s memories, the archives and the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exhibition highlights the French Army’s<\/strong> commitment through its various components as well as the singularity of American presence in the south of France during this brief historical period, which has recently been the subject of renewed scientific research, thus bringing to light a coherent historical narrative on the scale of Marseille’s region that is still little-known to the general public.<\/p>\n

A Shared Heritage Combining History and Archaeology<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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At a time when the French Ministry of Culture<\/strong> is emphasizing the study of contemporary conflicts and the collective memory — while using an original point of view that has yet to be fully exploited, the aim is to highlight recent scientific findings and those currently under study, specific to the Marseille area but directly linked to World history.<\/p>\n

The aim is to show both the coherence of the American presence<\/strong> in the Marseille area and even beyond, but also the diversity of its manifestations, combining History, archival documents and archaeological remains to emphasize the human dimension. The public must be able to share a common heritage and legacy and be fully aware of how important it is for all of us to protect and promote this exceptional cultural and historical heritage.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the theme of the Second World War<\/strong> touches a wide audience because it echoes a collective and family memory that is often still alive. From near and far, all families have been affected by this event, whether these people were combatants, resistance fighters or civilians, and whatever were their origins (French from mainland France or Algeria, colonials, Europeans, Americans…). Moreover, witnesses to this recent history are gradually gone over time, making it imperative to pass these memories on to the younger generations. Who remembers today how the French natives, the Europeans from North Africa, the Algerians and the Moroccans fought side by side for the Liberation of Provence? Who today realizes, when riding the TGV across the Arbois plateau near Calas, that they are passing through what was then home to the largest American military camp in Europe?<\/p>\n

Discovering U.S. Camps for German POWs and U.S. Transit Camps<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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The exhibition’s originality lies in the cross-referencing<\/strong> of the different sources being used with an emphasis on the role archaeology plays in understanding recent conflicts. Indeed, the rediscovery in 2013 — and subsequent excavation in 2015 — of an American prison camp for German POWs in Miramas, near Marseille, revealed for the very first time the enormous scientific potential of WWII US camps in the south of France. Some of the discovered objects thus finally presented to the public will address the issue of the treatment of German POWs and their living conditions inside the camp. Combs, toothpaste tubes, Coca-Cola bottles, clothing and camp handicrafts thus tell the story of their daily life made up of hard work and strategies to improve their condition. Archival documents, prisoner drawings and enlarged period photographs, enriching the knowledge of the context, thus help to make the connection to Continental Central Prisoners of War Enclosure #404.\u00a0<\/span>This large central camp, the only one of its kind in the south of France, housed prisoners captured throughout Europe before being assigned to work camps such as the one in Miramas. It was annexed to the larger Delta Staging Area in Calas, which transited American troops redeployed to the Pacific front or were repatriated to the United States.<\/p>\n

More than two million soldiers<\/strong> passed through the port of Marseille on their way out of Europe. The remains of the huge U.S. facilities built to accommodate the men and store equipment and supplies are still visible in today’s landscape, particularly on the Arbois plateau designed to house up to 100,000 soldiers.\u00a0These traces, which tend to fade with time, have made it possible to recreate the original layout of a U.S. camp covering almost 750 hectares (over 2.89 square miles). Videos made by the U.S. Army show the intense activity that reigned there. Thus we discover an open-air theater, set up at the bottom of a valley, which could accommodate up to 17,000 soldiers attending the shows then given by such famous stars as Marlene Dietrich or Mickey Rooney.<\/p>\n

After addressing the theme of relationships<\/strong> between American soldiers and the local population, the last part of the exhibition explores the future of the recent past. Indeed, for almost fifteen years, archaeological remains relating to the Second World War have been the subject of scientific research guided by new issues. Soil archives thus contribute to the development of historical discourse by providing unpublished data and tangible evidence of the recent past. However, their relative temporal proximity does not protect them from rapid disappearance. This irreplaceable and fragile heritage must therefore be rigorously protected so that it can be passed on to future generations in the best conditions to nourish our collective memory.<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric MARTY\u00a0CHEF DE PROJET (Project Mgr.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

ARCH\u00c9OLOGIE – CONSERVATION – CULTURAL HERITAGE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Office: 04 42 11 27 73<\/p>\n

Division du Patrimoine Culturel — Service actions et programmations culturelles — Direction d\u00e9veloppement et r\u00e9seaux culturels — P\u00f4le r\u00e9seaux culturels, sportifs et gestion d’\u00e9quipements\u00a0 —\u00a0DGD transition environnementale, culture, sport et \u00e9quipements<\/p>\n

LA M\u00c9TROPOLE AIX-MARSEILLE-PROVENCE\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Le Pharo 58, boulevard Charles-Livon 13007 Marseille<\/p>\n

BP 48014 – 13567 Marseille Cedex 02<\/p>\n

Related links:<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.europeremembers.com\/stories\/15\/jean-de-lattre-de-tassigny<\/a><\/p>\n

McNair, Lesley James, 1883-1944 | Archives and Special Collections (purdue.edu)<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/arsof-history.org\/articles\/22apr_mg_robert_frederick_page_1.html<\/a><\/p>\n

France commemorates 80-year anniversary of Allied landings in Provence (france24.com)<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.rfi.fr\/en\/france\/20240814-france-honours-overlooked-heroes-of-1944-provence-landings-80-years-on-dragoon<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/archives.defense.gouv.fr\/actualites\/articles\/debarquement-de-provence-l-armee-b-du-general-de-lattre.html<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.7atc.army.mil\/History\/<\/a><\/p>\n

LA PROVENCE AMERICAINE – De la Lib\u00e9ration \u00e0 la reconstruction (1944 – 1947)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n