Photographs of the Liberation of France

Tourists who are here in Paris right now can see a collection of photos of
the Liberation of France displayed on the fence of the Jardin du Luxembourg
in the 6th arrondissement. These photos show D-Day, of course, and the
liberation of Paris, but also photos from the Allied landings in the south
of France, notably from Toulon and Nice.

The Provence landing is often overlooked, almost forgotten, while D-Day gets
all the attention. For people visiting the south, there is a very moving
American military cemetery at Draguignan, in the department of the Var. It
is of course smaller than Colleville-sur-Mer, in Normandy, but I found it
just as touching. The visitors are overwhelmingly European, mostly French,
and in the visitors' book one finds many, many expressions of gratitude for
this liberation.

Donna Evleth