[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FRENCH-AMERICAN RELATIONS

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 25, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as President Emmanuel Macron continues 
his visit to the United States, I would like to acknowledge the shared 
sacrifice of his nation and ours during the First World War.
   President Macron graciously brought with him a sapling from the 
Belleau Wood, the site of the first battle in World War I where 
American generals commanded troops in the field. The American forces 
overwhelmed their adversaries and helped the Allied forces win the day. 
The U.S. Marines were the toast of Paris, having provided a key spark 
to the Allied maneuvers in the battle. The nickname they gained from 
their actions in battle, ``Teufelhunde'' or ``Devil Dogs,'' lives on 
today.
   Some Americans were already in France, voluntarily joining the fight 
to defend France and her allies. Thirty-eight American pilots formed 
the Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron of the French air service that saw 
action at the Battle of Verdun and other notable engagements of the 
war, and more than 200 additional Americans served in other French 
squadrons. Informally referred to collectively as the La Fayette Flying 
Corps, these American aviators voluntarily served the French people in 
the same spirit as the Marquis de Lafayette did for the 13 colonies in 
the Revolution. Many of these pilots were not much older than the 19-
year-old Lafayette when he first landed on American soil yet still made 
a significant contribution to the defense of France in World War I.
   Mr. Speaker, the United States and France have risen to each other's 
defense throughout history because we share the values of liberty and 
freedom, and we will continue to stand by our French allies in 
promoting these values at home and around the world.
   And that's just the way it is.

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