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82nd Poem POEMS A LA 82eme DIVISION
AMERICAINE PARACHUTISTS

TO THE 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION

These French and English copies of a poem written by Simone Renaud in June 1966 were received by  Robert Sickler.


French Version

Hand written endorsement
"affectonmen a la chere 82nd Airborne division.

/s/ Simone Renaud
June 6tth, 1966.- Saint Mere Eglise"

 


English Version

Hand written endorsement
"We shall always think of the great 82nd Airborne Division very dearly.  Today more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow!

/s/ Simone Renaud
June 6tth, 1966.- Saint Mere Eglise"

(documents courtesy of the Robert L. Sickle family)


Vous etes descendus par une nuit d'ete
Sur le beau sol de FRANCE.
AIRBORNE ! Les premiers vous avez replante
Les fleurs de I'Esperance

Sur la terre Normande asservie eu guettait
L'avion a la croix noire
Et vous avez ecrit les premiers, a grands traits,
Cette page d’Histoire

Dont l'Avenir toujours ira s’emerveillant,
Cette page si grande
Qu'on la racontera aux tout petits enfants"
Sur le ton des legendes !

"Il y eut autrefois des archanges ailes
Qui, du ciel de lumiere - .'
Descendirent chasser les demons installes
Sur notre pauvre terre .

Du sol noir jaillissait la flamme des brasiers
Et des balles tracantes
Vers eux aui, dedaigneux, parachute deploye,
Jusqu'a l'aube maissante

Planerent; puis soudainse laisserent giisser
Vers nos teits, nos tourelles,
Posant leurs veiles bleus, blancs, verts , er, dispres,
Comme de grandes ailes tt

Quand ils disaient :"O.K" , si calmes et si gais,
Le rire sur la bouche,
Ils redonnaient l'espoir a nos coeurs angoisses
Par la lutte farouche .

AMIS, un jour, plus tard, Iourds de vos souvenirs,
Fiers de votre Victoire
Dans le pays normand vous voudrez revenir
Ou naquit votre gloire

Et SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE entre tous lieux choisie
Pour les premiers combats,
Comme une Mere a ses enfants tout attendrie.
Vous ouvrira ses bras !
" SOYEZ GLORIFIES, VOUS QUI FUTES SI GRANDS
En ces jours d'epopee.
N'avez vous pas , faces noircies et veiles blancs,
En balayant les nuees,
Chasse a grands coups d’ailes
O Ramoneurs celestes ! les hordes cruelles !”

 

June- 6 -1944 - June 6 1946
Simone RENAUD, Mayor’s wife
SAINT-MERE-EGLISE ( Manche )


You have jumped down in a Summer night
On the soil of FRANCE.
AIRBORNE ! You, first, have set up the flowers of Hope
To bloom again,

Unshackled Normandy where the black crossed planes watched in the sky.
And, THE FIRST ONES, you have written at a stroke
This page of History

Which future men will read unbelieving!
Such a grand page
That it will be told to the little ones
After the old way of the legends!

" … Once upon a time, winged angels
Came diving down from the moon-lit sky
To drive away the devils
Enslaving our poor country.

By night, from the black earth, the flames of fires and tracer-bullets
Sprang to them,
Who soared above, full of scorn, with widespread parachutes
Till dawn peeped …

Them all of a sudden they glided down
On our roofs, our towers,
Laying their blue, white, green, gold, speckled silk veils
Just like large wings!

And when, so calm and laughing, they would say:
" Everything is O.K. "
A wave of Hope surged again in our anxious hearts
During the fierce fight.

O! Friends, one day, later on, laden with memories,
Proud of your Victory,
To this Norman countryside you will wish to return
Where your glory was born.

And SAINT-MERE-EGLISE , chosen among all other places
For the first fighting to start,
Like a tender mother to her children
Will stretch her arms to you and say :

" Be praised, honored, YOU AIRBORNE, who have been so grand
In the epic days !
With your sooty faces and white silk parachutes
You have swept the clouds,
And with your gleaming wings you have driven away
In a mighty sweep
0! SKY SWEEPERS,
The barbarian foe ! "

June- 6 -1944 - June 6 1946
Simone RENAUD, Mayor’s wife
SAINT-MERE-EGLISE ( Manche )
 


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