So today I happened upon an amazing event when I turned the corner onto the Champs-Élysée. I'm having trouble discerning it if takes place every day but that seemed to be the buzz around the Arc.
Several old soldiers, sailors, paratroopers (I'm not familiar with French military so I don't know who belongs to what) paraded down the end bit of the the Champs-Élysée to the Arc de Triomphe and laid enormous wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, sang the national anthem and waved flags from their respective regiments.
For a few minutes (about a half-hour or so), you could see the young men and woman (there was one) that they once were. They got scolded for talking and not paying attention. They sang with pride and raised their flags with enthusiasm.
And then they were just regular old guys and gal again, a little hunched, heading off in their own directions. I wanted to give them all hugs. But there was a rope and you know, that'd be weird.
3 comments:
What a sweet story. We stumbled upon something similar in London, though it was a mix of current and retired military folk,I believe.
There were current military there too. But I think they're always at the Arc de Triomphe. Maybe. I couldn't quite see the whole ceremony. (Height issues.) The retirees were doing the ceremonial stuff, from what I could tell. It definitely brought a tear to the eye.
where's the lipstick colors???
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