Tag Archives: france

The Man In Charge

When my grandfather, George Floyd Byer, served in World War I, he began as a cook and eventually became the chief cook, essentially the man in charge. He was highly respected by all the men under his command. In fact, … Continue reading →

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Death Of A Monarch

Anytime a leader of a nation is killed or dies, the fate of the nation can be at risk. Most often, the transition of power is a smooth process, but on occasion, things can go terribly wrong. In the case … Continue reading →

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Leaving Germany

With the end of World War II in 1945, the United States, Great Britain, and France took control of western Germany, including the western half of Berlin, which was located deep in the east. The Soviet Union occupied eastern Germany … Continue reading →

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Battle Of Verdun

On the morning of February 21, 1916, at 7:12am, a shell from a German Krupp 38-centimeter long-barreled gun, which was one of more than 1,200 weapons aimed at French forces along a 20-kilometer stretch of the Meuse River, hit a … Continue reading →

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Brave Bessie

Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas, as the tenth of thirteen children to George and Susan Coleman, who were of African American and possibly Native American heritage. It seems strange to me that a person … Continue reading →

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There Are Only People

Prior to December 1940 the sleepy little village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France had an approximate population of 5,000 people. The villages on the surrounding plateau had about 24,000. The population of the area was not large, nor would we consider … Continue reading →

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Specific Improvements

Pierre Lallement was living in Nancy, France when he saw someone on a Dandy Horse, which is basically a strider bike. That bike is powered when the rider runs while straddling a bicycle seat. It’s a great was to teach a child Continue reading →

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A Date Of Significance

The name was originally Armistice Day, but now is known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of England and Veterans Day in the United States. It is observed annually on November 11th. This day marks the armistice signed at Compiègne, France, Continue reading →

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The Guillotine

Death by guillotine…just the thought makes us cringe. Nevertheless, this form of the death sentence has been widely used throughout history, though not anymore. The last person to be executed by guillotine was Hamida Djandoubi, Continue reading →

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Something For Everyone

The 2024 Summer Olympic games officially opened yesterday in Paris. There were a number of great entries in the parade, and as always, the Torch Relay did not disappoint. I think my favorite person in the relay was Kevin Piette. Continue reading →

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