some WWII stories etc
So like a week or two ago, my cousin Christine and I were talking to my grandmother about WW2. Being both educated by the US public school system, we were often only privy to American soldiers perspectives of life during the war....we were both interested in what my grandmother had to say. Most of you know that Belgium was occupied by German forces throughout most of the war. It was interesting to hear about life during occupation. My grandmother said (don't take this the wrong way- read on) that those years were some of the best of her life. She was about 16 near the end of the war, i THINK. Anyways, her dad (hence the family) was involved in the Resistance- so for her; the war was a time where they were secretly fighting back, a proud time. Her father's official day job (f i remember correctly) was to take care of the families of officers that may have been put in jail I believe. So they woul send the children off to summer camps in the mountains. Secretly though; they would mix in Jewish children with the group; and send them off to safety. Thats what my great-grandfather did specifically, among other htings I think- other people involved also hid Jewish families; or took in the kids as their own, etc. Near the end of the war, there were some leaks- ora spy who gave up a lot of names- and so my great grandfather was jailed for a few months. When the war was over, he was set free.
I thought that was a cool story. He was post-humously awarded a "Just parmi les justes" medal from Israel- as a symbolic "thank you" for helping Jewish people during the war. My grandmother was supposed to recieve it in Jerusalem, but unfortunately that was just around the time my grandfather died in car accident (late 1988) and she was unable to go...Mamy showed Christine and I the medal- it's pretty cool...Years later; my grandmother did visit Jerusalem, and found his name on a monument honoraring Belgian people.....I think she said his name was also posted in Washington D.C. Pretty cool.
Yesterday, my other grandmother (aka Bonne-maman, my mom's mom) and I drove to Vervies (where they have the best tasting Tarte au Riz- "rice tart") to visit Josiane and Pierrot- who are practically like family. Anyhoo, sometime after the mixed drinks, wine, and Bailey's to finish off lunch we went to get some coffee and pie, and we got talking about the war. My grandmother says that one of her clearest memories was the night of the German invasion- she and her mom were at the window, and they heard the planes, and explosions, and her mom said "Mon dieu, c'est la guerre'" (My god, it's war). Seems so little- but so...i don't know how to explain it. Josiane said that for years she was terrified of like full moons; and she couldn't figure out why....when she asked herself and really thought about it, she realized it was cause she remembered a full moon the night the invasion started, and she had never been so terrified (she was just a child) because they had NO idea what would happen...
Anyhoozers, I have been enjoying my time here. Seeing family, shopping, chilling, eating deilicious food. Christine gets back from a 4 day trip to London today; and our train for Paris leaves Friday. From there I meet up with Erica. So excited. She just informed me we may spend the weekedn at her grandparent's beach house in Normandy- sweeeet :)
PS if ANYONE ruins Harry Potter for me, I am gonna be VERY VERY mad. I don't get the book til mid-august.
I thought that was a cool story. He was post-humously awarded a "Just parmi les justes" medal from Israel- as a symbolic "thank you" for helping Jewish people during the war. My grandmother was supposed to recieve it in Jerusalem, but unfortunately that was just around the time my grandfather died in car accident (late 1988) and she was unable to go...Mamy showed Christine and I the medal- it's pretty cool...Years later; my grandmother did visit Jerusalem, and found his name on a monument honoraring Belgian people.....I think she said his name was also posted in Washington D.C. Pretty cool.
Yesterday, my other grandmother (aka Bonne-maman, my mom's mom) and I drove to Vervies (where they have the best tasting Tarte au Riz- "rice tart") to visit Josiane and Pierrot- who are practically like family. Anyhoo, sometime after the mixed drinks, wine, and Bailey's to finish off lunch we went to get some coffee and pie, and we got talking about the war. My grandmother says that one of her clearest memories was the night of the German invasion- she and her mom were at the window, and they heard the planes, and explosions, and her mom said "Mon dieu, c'est la guerre'" (My god, it's war). Seems so little- but so...i don't know how to explain it. Josiane said that for years she was terrified of like full moons; and she couldn't figure out why....when she asked herself and really thought about it, she realized it was cause she remembered a full moon the night the invasion started, and she had never been so terrified (she was just a child) because they had NO idea what would happen...
Anyhoozers, I have been enjoying my time here. Seeing family, shopping, chilling, eating deilicious food. Christine gets back from a 4 day trip to London today; and our train for Paris leaves Friday. From there I meet up with Erica. So excited. She just informed me we may spend the weekedn at her grandparent's beach house in Normandy- sweeeet :)
PS if ANYONE ruins Harry Potter for me, I am gonna be VERY VERY mad. I don't get the book til mid-august.