Kiss Me Goodbye Sgt. Major

Took a phone call this morning from my mother, in the UK. Now don't assume that she's a raving royalist. Though she is most certainly a patriotic and loves nothing more than a good old red,white and blue Great British celebration such as the upcoming 65th anniversary of D-Day, when World War II was won.

Mum really had her knickers in a twist today, and I don't think she'd mind me telling you. For it's currently transpiring all over the British tabloids that French Pres Sakozy decided, in his wisdom, not to press the Queen or any member of the royal family for that matter, or even the British PM, Gordon Brown, into making an exception to last year's decision not to spend any more public funds in costly civic attendance until the 100th anniversary of this major world event.

With the Brits saving their pennies publicly, this apparently cleared the way for an official invitation to the White House for Obama (everyone knows we can't stop spending here in the States) to make a big (and worthy, I will add) appearance alongside the dwindling corps of aging veterans who will gather on the five beaches of Northern France to commemorate the day the war was won. Major photo op for Sakozy and Obama, but the poor old Brits have quite rightly been left feeling like they are out in the cold.

Gordon Brown is now going, whether he's paying for it out of the public pocket, or not. And quite right, too. An absence of British leadership alongside the allies would be a crying shame and a shun to the thousands of British troops who gave their lives along that monumental coastal blood bath. Hollywood might like to give the impression that it was all about the American war effort, and it most certainly was significant in magnitude, but let's not forget about the valient English men and women who were in it from the beginning (that's 1939 in UK history text books) all the way through to that triumphant June day in 1944.

Leave it to Obama to inadvertantly get them all in a tiz in Europe. Everyone wants a bit of Barack in the picture this year, after all. And I don't blame them. I trust we can leave it up to the big guy to get the politics cleared up at Dunkirk.

Comments

[Jennifer Galatioto]

I like that you are the British/Europe connection through Mum, so as to keep us grounded here in the USA. A little reality check with a British accent! Well, I love your blog and can't wait to read more. Plus, I took a look at your vineyard photos. OMG! So yummy. Can I have your luxurious life? Why do Iive in NY again?

[Frances]

Now there's a whole lot to be said for life in the big apple, Jennifer - all that lovely shopping, theater, museums, great restaurants, real brick buildings, closer to England. I could have been happy there if that's where I'd landed, fresh off the boat! Check out Jennifer's fab Morte di Fame blog at: http://mortadifame.blogspot.com/
But be warned, there's another coastal Rocco involved!

[Lesley]

Great post Mrs. R but being the patriotic Brit that I am I have to mention that World War 2 didn't end until May of 1945.

[Frances]

Well, yes, 1939-1945 was drummed into our permanent memory of high school history, as th eofficial end of the war, but D Day celebrations marking June 1944 represent the victory.

[lindsey]

According to the BBC, Britain decided not to celebrate the 65th anniversary as they did for the 60th, but that doesn't mean that the Queen isn't prepared to go to the ceremony in France. Apparently the French haven't invited her and Gordon Brown insists that it's not his place to invite the British royal family to an event held by the French, so it's stalemate....