DRAGOON MARCH
Le Muy 13/16 August 2009
F.F.M.
R. N° 131415161709
Date August 18, 2009
Written by Marco Staff Sgt.
Team:
Marco G. 517° PRCT (Parachute Regiment Combat Team) / F.S.S.F (First Special Service Force) 6-3 (terzo reggimento, quello di SAM Magee)
Claudio M. 517° PRCT / F.S.S.F 6-3 Mancio 517° PRCT / F.S.S.F 6-3 Baru 517° PRCT (D company) / F.S.S.F 6-3
Nando M. F.S.S.F 6-3 Luigi B. 517° PRCT / F.S.S.F 6-3 J.P. F.S.S.F 6-3
Ivano G. 5th Scottish Battalion Jordan B. 4th Battalion (Black Sheep)
Here is our report about these wonderful days spent together with our French friends of the Forty Four Memories Association:
Aug 13
We arrive at Camp "Uncle Sam" early in the morning. After greeting our French friends, we set up our tents. We are equipped with a six cots pyramidal tent, one officers’ tent for 3-4 people, as well as several pup tents to be used for stowing away our gear. In a while, the camp start taking up its proper military appearance, as expected. A group of MP reenactors, who performed a round the clock guard service at the camp, gives us our first briefing about camp manners. We are given details about access discipline (only people having the prescribed passes – copied from originals – will be let in), and other matters – such as the standing restriction on hanging civilian clothing to dry out in the open (this is allowed only at night), etc. In sum, everything is set up to assure no undue disturbance is given to the historical character of the camp. We also learn that this is an international venture, reuniting reenactors from France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, as well as us Italians and three reenactors from Canada, the US (our friend Jordan), and Japan.
After eating
some food, we prepare for the 517th PIR march – web gear, food,
water, shelter halves, ponchos, all that will be needed during the long march is
checked one last time before the final march briefing, when we are again warned
we must have enough food and water to keep us self sufficient for two days.
For the march, we will be divided into five squad-size groups, each under a
squad leader. Assignments having been taken, we assemble with Sam Magee, a
Canadian First Special Service Force who is staying at the camp together with
his companion. Sam, whom both I and baru know from a previous meeting on the Col
de Braus, has a wealth of anecdotes to tell us about his war experiences – and
listening to him is simply fantastic! He also has us sit in a circle, legs
crossed, and at the command of “Up-Down!” we have to stand and fall down
repeatedly, a maneuver which soon has us all in a fit of laughing. 
We board our trucks, destination the initial point for the march, which we reach in a few minutes. Navigating with maps, we start our route through pinewoods and small country roads, towards an area known as Roche Rouge, where US mortar positions were sited. The air is very hot, even at 7 p.m.,, and within one hour of marching I have drank one liter of water , with one and a half left). Sweat drenches our helmet liner sweatbands before running down our faces. One French reenactor, suffering from a heat stroke, has to be carried to the hospital (but he will recover with no ill consequences). Based on our experience from the previous year, we are better prepared, both physically and mentally, to the hardship of the march, but the weight to be carried cannot be cut past a point. I am carrying a Thompson SMG, a BC611 radio, a shortened M1910 shovel, a filled canteen, a musette bag with food and additional water, a shelter half, and a poncho. The others are similarly burdened. After two and a half hours of marching we reach the town of Les Arcs, where we can have needed rest as well as some foods and beverages offered by the local Municipality.
At 10:30 p.m. we are loaded again on trucks which bring us to Sainte Roseline for the second leg of our march, which now is taking place in the dark amongst the same vineyards where the airborne drops took place sixty-five years ago. Our “mission” is to reach the Valbourges castle, where we will spend the night in the open. Following our “squad leader” Sgt. Barragnas, we reach Valbourges at about 1 a.m. after two hours of uneventful march. We bed down for the night and fall asleep easily under the starlight sky.
Aug 14
The early morning sunshine wakes us up. Apart from a little backache we have survived the night well. After breakfast, we go and see the leftover of an Allied glider, which are still hanging from an old tree.
We
start i
n
groups towards Trans en Provence, crossing cultivated fields and vineyards. We
also have to cross a stream, using a strung rope for help. In Trans en Provence
some refreshments offered by the local community
is again waiting for us, a welcome occasion for rest and refill with food and
water. Our program is to get to Mittan by truck, but because of the heath a
change in destination gets us to a stream where several reenactors
undress and take a refreshing bath clad in OD drawers. Jordan, Luigi and me are
among them, and jump into the icy water with lust.
The time has now come for our return march into Le Muy, where we will parade with several vehicles, including an M4 tank. The place is crowded with tourists and veterans. We Italians have specifically brought with us a few mementos to be given the veterans – an inscribed 75 mm case, several .303 British cases, also inscribed and turned into key hangers, and a small framed composition made with a strip of GI blanket, a package of lemon powder form a field ration, a small parachute strip, and a C-can key, with our signatures. All of this stuff has been retrieved from the mountain battlefields where they fought in 1944. Emotions are strong, both for them and us, when we present them our little sign of gratitude.
One single OD-clad figure stood out among the crowd wearing brightly colored t-shirts and shorts – Our friend “m1Enrico” has come to visit us from Draguignan, where he is lodged. We comment about the difference between the Italian and French reenacting scene – the latter being so much more developed – at events such as the one we are taking part to, it would be inconceivable to show up with the wrong uniform or unit patch for the specific place and battle. Such reenacting discipline is still a long way to come in Italy.
At night, we could join the happy crowd at the ball in the town square, but we are tired, and go to bed early after having paid only a short visit to the place.
Aug 15
Today we elect to spend our time with Sam Magee, a few other British and American veterans as well as with our F.S.S.F. reenacting friends from the UK and Canada (Paul, Phil, John, and others whose name I can’t remember), all of which wear Force uniforms and patches in Sam’s honor. Today the French Government will award veterans the Legion d’Honneur, the highest award in France for heroic acts during the war. We humbly add our own to the day by giving veterans’ our little gifts.
Back to camp, we get ready for the commemoration at Les Arcs, when wreaths will be laid at three locations, honoring the Fallen. A few reenactors suffer again from the heat and must leave the honor guard during the ceremony. Later on, the atmosphere becomes more joyful when we gather for aperitifs and dances in the main square. We seat all together at a table with Sam, his companion, and our British friends, all of us wearing F.S.S.F. patches. A couple of rounds of beer are all it takes to magically remove any language barrier. A few mademoiselles are invited at the table, and our merry group goes on celebrating into the night. I end up dancing – well, trying to - with Sam’s companion, and later on the happy couple demonstrate to us the dancing styles of the era. I forgot to mention that Sam is 86, she is 72. I must admit my recollections of the rest of the night become fuzzy at this point.
Aug 16
Today will be a solemn day, as we commemorate the Fallen at Draguignan’s cemetery. We arrive at the cemetery around 10 a.m., and find the place crowded by veterans assembled to honor their comrades who gave their life during the war. Many wreaths are laid by veterans, and by the local military and civilian authorities.
After the ceremony, our column assemble with historic military vehicles for the big parade downtown. We then proceed by truck to Le Muy, where another parade is held. Then we leave the FFM group to stay again with Sam and the FSSF reenactors. We have decided to go to a small square we already know, where in the past we enjoyed eating a tasty paella while looking at a majorette exhibition. With bitter disappointment, there are no majorettes nor paella this time – we have to do with stockfish, a boiled egg, and some vegetables instead. What an anticlimax!
Back to camp, and we immediately start for our next destination – a commemoration at Trans en Provence, then to Draguignan for a night parade with fireworks and a dancing night. Unfortunately, Jp has to leave because of a swollen wrist (consequence of a bike accident), while Baru, Nando, and Claudio decide to stay at the camp, being too tired to join us in this new adventure. Together with Mancio, Luigi, Ivano, and Jordan, we board trucks and join the commemoration, where wreaths are laid honoring the Fallen, then we proceed to Draguignan, where a reconstruction will take place of the moment when the Maquis and the Allied forces met. This is no ordinary event, since the Maquis will be the very same person who met the Americans in 1944, and the US veteran who will meet him is the representative of the unit who actually was there back then. You may understand emotions are strong when the two meet, remembering those days.
After this touching moment, we march through the city, singing Airborne songs, as happened sixty five years ago. This is followed by our usual aperitif, but we feel the absence of our friends, and cannot enjoy the fireworks and dancing as much as we would like.
We get back to camp around midnight, and we go to bed conscious that tomorrow we must leave.
Aug 17
The sad moment of leaving has finally come, even too soon. It’s a rule of life: beautiful things don’t last. But the memory of these days will stay with us forever.
Thanks, FORTY FOUR MEMORIES, for having given us again the opportunity to take part with you in this remarkably real and moving event.
My thanks also go to Mancio who took most of the pictures and videos, to Gilles, for the videos posted on You Tube, and to the whole FFM Forum for using their photos.
Here is an interesting link on all the steps of the commemorations of the 65° Anniversary of the liberation in Europe from the 517° Europe Road Trip
By Marco G. Staff Sgt.
Thanks to Corso for the English Translation.
The photos can be viewed here!