When passports were not required
I can't swear this is true, but it does remind me of a time when it was not necessary for American, English or Canadian to have a passport to visit France. I suspect there are still a lot of very nice and thankful Frenchmen and women but there does seem to be a certain attitude in Paris, or so I have been told.
Robert Whiting , an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."
The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to."
Thank you Mr. Whiting, Mr. Wm. Fitzgerald and all of the then young men who stepped forward in the time of the world's greatest need.
