Vive l'Alliance!

Last night, the American and French alliance was celebrated with a reception at the President’s House at the Naval War College. Historical dignitaries including General George Washington, Count Rochambeau, and the Marquis de Lafayette, accompanied by fife and drum, mingled among the many guests. Admiral Shuford, the 51st President of the College, easily won the hearts of the many guests from France, including the Ambassador, by his extensive welcoming comments spoken in French. The Admiral spoke of his two years as a student at the Institute of Political Science in Paris and of the beauties of that city.

The French Ambassador, Jean-David Levitte, spoke about our long alliance starting with the American Revolution and proceeding with General Pershing in World War I and D-Day. The alliance was always based on the ideas of liberty and equality for all. The Ambassador also asked the guests to keep in mind especially our British friends as they cope with the bombings of July 7.

On display were several paintings by David R. Wagner of the Rochambeau route to Yorktown. I spoke with Mr. Wagner and learned that he plans to do over 100 paintings as part of this project. His paintings are vibrant and pay close attention to historical details. His paintings make the era come alive.

Senator Pell, Governor Carcieri and Representative Langevin were also in attendance.

This was an especially moving event as we heard speakers talk about the historical significance of our long alliance and refer to numerous events that so many study in high school but forget over time. While all of us tend to focus on the here and now, it is important to recall the people and events that came before us, to recognize the sacrifices and dedication of our nation’s founders, and to reflect on how new generations can build on their legacy.

An Aside:

My lobbying instincts came to the fore as I was shaking hands with the Governor and introduced myself as a high school history teacher. He initially smiled, but then I added I was a teacher with 9 years of experience. With this, his smile faded somewhat and he said “too bad” and moved on. I made this comment because of the recent pension changes at the state level. While I support pension change, I believe some of the provisions were not fully thought out and may be considered discriminatory. My elected officials have heard from me once and they will hear from me again. We must all be active citizens!