Memorial Day... A time to be grateful!

By Christian M. Domergue
Co-Founder of Four Winds Nutrition
On D-Day (June 1944), I was a 4-year-old boy living in Normandy (France). At that time France was occupied by the German army and so was the manor where we had to share rooms with these men. I was the youngest of 8 children born in 1940 right at the beginning of WWII.

What a present it must have been for my poor mother!

In 1916 during WWI, my father volunteered to join the army, he was 18 years old.

During WWII he played a role in the local resistance and later, was selected to accompany General Eisenhower all the way to Berlin as a liaison officer between the French and the US army! He would come back from Berlin driving some beautiful and huge black American cars! You can imagine how happy and proud I was of my father and... of his cars!

Me between two GIs Normandy 1944

While the Germans were sharing our home, I was not allowed to talk to them.

One beautiful day, we were asked to run to the basement and wait there. We could hear way above our heads hundreds of planes flying toward Germany. Those planes were dropping some silver balls made of hundreds of small aluminum wires. I learned later that this was to disrupt German radars.

While in the basement we could look outside through a small window that was at street level. Some three miles away from our home, on top of the hill, we could see a column of US tanks and were told that they were coming to our village. When allowed to leave the basement, my brothers and I rushed to the center of our village (100 inhabitants at the time... and a few more today!) to welcome those wonderful soldiers.

I do remember very well my father taking "prisoners" all those Germans who were still in our home. He closed them up in one of the cellar rooms (built in 1600!). Later, my father told me that these men were very happy to be there as opposed to continue the fight. They were then handed over to the US military.

My mother allowed me to talk and have fun with American soldiers and for me, it was difficult to understand the difference, same type of uniform, same age ... too young to understand I guess. My father organized a state dinner for the US officers and I was sent to bed that night to wake up the next morning with a room full of chocolate and chewing gums! Ouah... those guys were truly much better than the Germans I thought at the time! Is this the reason I always wanted to come to the US? Most probably!

Then came the time to return to our apartment in Paris, a few hundred yards from the Eiffel Tower. Also time to go to school and there, we were given American bread which we found to be absolutely delicious! (today's hot dog white bread...). This lasted until the French bakers were able to buy flour and make the traditional Parisian "baguette" and "croissants"!

So, as for every Memorial Day, I want to thank this great nation and those US and allied soldiers who are still alive and who came to Europe to liberate us from a mad man: Hitler, and the Nazis.

Today, Europe is finally united after centuries of wars! In 1984 President Mitterrand of France extended his hands to then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (picture below). It happened in Douaumont where thousands of WWI soldiers are buried. Every time I look at this picture and what it truly represents I have tears in my eyes. In this area, in 1916 the battle of Verdun cost approximately 400,000 lives! But that is not all...

From the first gunshot fired in anger in 1914 until November 11th 1918, The Great War took its toll on human life.

8 million men were killed in battle. 2 million died of illness and disease. 21.2 million were wounded. 7.8 million were taken prisoner or went missing in action. 6.6 million civilians were killed.

We thought it would be the last war! In France people would call WWI "la der des der" ... the last of the last! Twenty one years later WWII started. Now one can truly understand why it is so moving to see a French President extend his hands to his German counterpart in Douaumont, France in 1984. 

So, if you happen to know one of those heroes who came to rescue us in France (Americans, English, Canadians or Australians) please tell those braves persons our gratitude! 

In 1970... I arrived in New-York to create the first French bakery in that city... baked with Julia Child in front of the camera (faked it as I was not a baker...), appeared on "What's my line" and "To Tell the truth". That was my American beginning and what a success it has been! We were the first to introduce real French bread and croissants to the US.

Twenty years ago, life took a new turn and I moved to Winter Park (FL). Since then, together with Jolie we continue to assist  people who want to improve their health, naturally.

Christian Domergue