quote:

Originally posted by x0225095:
Some people just want to be butt hurt about anything.

Indeed.

I was just going to recommend that the next time someone performs an heroic act in a country they don’t like and the country wants to show its gratitude by granting the hero its citizenship, he should demonstrate his disdain (and class) by loudly refusing to accept it. That’ll prove how superior we are.

That's pretty baller.

Literally *earning* citizenship by putting down an armed terrorist with your bare hands.

I'd be proud of that.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
I'm not so sure I'd want to be on the hook for French income taxes.

You only pay income tax in France if you live and work there. It is not like the US where you pay income tax no matter where you live.

When I worked for a major defense contractor, I lived abroad for years at a time. I was exempt from federal income taxes if I spent less than 30 days in the US during a one year period.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Wayniac,

Outstanding. The French can be the real deal. What they did in WWI is extraordinary.

This is an incredibly gracious act, and is true evidence of national honor.

When I was in 3ID, I wore a green and red cord that was awarded to the division by the French government for my division's service at the 2nd Marne. When I toured the French military museum, and was going through the display of all of the combatant uniforms of WWI, the American soldier was wearing a 3ID patch. When I was hanging out at the Arc de Triomphe on the 4th of July waiting to meet up with friends to go to dinner, the French closed the Champs Elysees, the French Army Band formed a semicircle around the eternal flame at the monument, played the Star Spangled Banner, and other American marches, and allowed the American VFW to march down the Elysees to place a wreath at the flame. At 1700, at rush hour. The French people stood at attention outside of their cars.

I would go back to fight for those people.

The French have their problems, but the soul of the Country is in the right place.

Bravo to the French, those guys earned it and more.

Well done France, I've enjoyed my stay's there many a time, always warm and gracious with a tinge of moodiness...kinda like American's

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Yes, i would certainly value such a gift.

Not to nit pick but it wasn't a gift. They earned it big time. I do get where you're coming from though. It isn't easy to become a French citizen.

Kudos to the French for honoring those young men for their heroism.

The three men represented what the best of America is. They were bestowed an honor from a long time ally. It’s pretty cool.

Still wondering why Mark Moogalian goes largely unrecognized from this. He is the one who disarmed Khazzani. Stone was engaging Khazzani when he only had a box cutter remaining. Kudos for Stone's quick thinking for putting his finger into the gunshot wounds in Moogalian's neck to reduce blood loss and saving his life.

Also keep in mind that the French fleet payed a key role in the siege of Yorktown.

An extraordinary honor well deserved nonetheless.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
What they did in WWI is extraordinary.

And when we look at the whole picture, also during WWII.
I have often wondered if I could have been capable of the courage that countless French resistance fighters and their supporters demonstrated during the German occupation. The stories about what happened to those who were caught are chilling.

Although it may be a bit of a drift, below is my discussion of what many ignorant Americans think of the French military that I originally posted a couple of years ago.

____________________________________________

As for the whole French “surrender monkeys” idiocy, that’s something else that deserves a little reading of actual history. World War II is of course the conflict that everyone thinks of when trotting out that stale canard, but who else surrendered in that war? Poland* was first (if we don’t count how the British and Czechs backed down to Hitler without a shot), but ultimately what were the other countries that surrendered? Finland, Norway, Italy, several small Axis allies, Japan, and let’s not forget the greatest surrenderer of them all: Germany. (Germany surrendered twice in 27 years to abandon major wars; France surrendered one time during the period, and then started fighting again. French forces made major contributions on the side of the US and the UK during WWII, but they initially refused to surrender to us in North Africa.)
(* Fortunately, Polish cryptoanalysts made it possible to break the German “Enigma” cipher machine, thereby giving the British the ability—at least in major part—to resist surrendering themselves.)

And what about World War I? Who besides Germany surrendered? Russia and Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), and some smaller nations.

Returning to France, yes, they surrendered in World War II—after suffering more battle deaths in less than six weeks than the US did after in years in Vietnam—and we surrendered as well. (Okay, ours wasn’t a formal surrender, but in most ways it was more disgraceful because our population was far larger, our army wasn’t destroyed, and the country wasn’t on the verge of being destroyed; we just got tired, picked up our ball and went home despite being points ahead.) And in as much as several other countries also fought on the Republic of Vietnam’s side, it could be said that the Australians and the others also surrendered in that war. Plus, let’s not forget that the RVN surrendered formally.

In Korea the US and other UN forces didn’t actually surrender, but we all said, “Okay, that’s enough; we’re going to stop trying to defeat the aggressors in this war”: not exactly worthy of parades down Broadway. The only difference between that and what happened in Vietnam was that we didn’t pull out to leave South Korea to be overrun by the Communists.

More recently, the Soviet Union surrendered in Afghanistan, so that was twice in 72 years for Russians as compared with once for France during the period. If we include all of the twentieth century, Russia surrendered three times (first to Japan).

But what about Điện Biên Phủ, didn’t France surrender there? Yes, but that was a battle, not the war, and if we consider it a surrender, what about the Australians at Gallipoli, or the British escaping by the skin of their teeth due to German incompetence at Dunkirk, or the US (again) in the Philippines and Guam or the British (again) at Singapore, or countless other battles, big and small, that saw someone other than France surrendering? The Germans surrendered a huge force at Stalingrad in WWII and individually Russians, British, Italians, Germans, and other nationalities surrendered in droves during that conflict. The French did pull out of Vietnam—but in the same manner as virtually all the other colonial powers around the world during the same era. Those retreats were often in response to armed uprisings and were at least de facto military capitulations as well.

that's a great symbolic honor for those heroes and they deserve that and much much more. My time spent in France, including Paris was that the French were the rudest, most arrogant and non driving people I encountered in Europe. the older, elderly types seemed to be more friendly and tolerant of us Americans, but the younger generations had a strong dislike and they let you know it.

I would be honored. And those young men deserve it...fine examples of American heroes that they are.

France is a beautiful country, and many of the people are extremely friendly and welcoming. I was not very fond of Paris, but southern France was magnificent, and Normandy was amazing...not just as a reminder of the historic bond between our two countries but also for it's natural beauty. The way that the French care for the graves of our fallen servicemen there is absolutely first-class.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Still wondering why Mark Moogalian goes largely unrecognized from this. He is the one who disarmed Khazzani. Stone was engaging Khazzani when he only had a box cutter remaining. Kudos for Stone's quick thinking for putting his finger into the gunshot wounds in Moogalian's neck to reduce blood loss and saving his life.

Also keep in mind that the French fleet payed a key role in the siege of Yorktown.

An extraordinary honor well deserved nonetheless.

He was given the Legion d’Honneur in a separate ceremony because he was still hospitalized from the gunshot wound he received while engaging the terrorist. Moogalian had taken the rifle away and the terrorist shot him with a handgun. Moogalian had dual citizenship and had been living in France for 20 years. LINK

This article: LINK says Moogalian played dead after being shot, the terrorist got the rifle back, and proceeded. The rifle was jammed, but Stone, Sadler and Skarlatos didn't know this.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Well done France, I've enjoyed my stay's there many a time, always warm and gracious with a tinge of moodiness...kinda like American's

Agreed on the above.

Have had good experiences in France and many times thought our disagreements were likely because we are in many ways of similar temperament.

quote:

Originally posted by deepocean:

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Outstanding. The French can be the real deal. What they did in WWI is extraordinary.

This is an incredibly gracious act, and is true evidence of national honor.

When I was in 3ID, I wore a green and red cord that was awarded to the division by the French government for my division's service at the 2nd Marne. When I toured the French military museum, and was going through the display of all of the combatant uniforms of WWI, the American soldier was wearing a 3ID patch. When I was hanging out at the Arc de Triomphe on the 4th of July waiting to meet up with friends to go to dinner, the French closed the Champs Elysees, the French Army Band formed a semicircle around the eternal flame at the monument, played the Star Spangled Banner, and other American marches, and allowed the American VFW to march down the Elysees to place a wreath at the flame. At 1700, at rush hour. The French people stood at attention outside of their cars.

That is amazing. Thank you for posting this. The people from France I have known in my life have been kind and gracious. I have always assumed that is what the good people there are like.

Indeed. Was floored to read this and actually read it several times. Many thanks for sharing this, sir.

This is a very respectful and high honor to bestow.

Regardless of your viewpoint, having the ability to work in Europe is an exceptional benefit.

Trying to get my wife to get her Italian citizenship reinstated, she was born in USA though may qualify... I'd rather winter in Italy than Florida.

Heroes.

Nothing more needs to be said.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
We should remember that the French are our longest-standing ally. Our nations have ties that date to the beginning of our country. France is a good friend of the U.S.

France allied with the American Colonies even before the Declaration of Independence.

Dual citizenship means you do not need a passport to travel to France / Europe?

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:

Dual citizenship means you do not need a passport to travel to France / Europe?

You always need a passport to travel from the US to Europe, regardless of citizenship.

Having a French passport though in the EU is kinda like a a driver's license in the US.