“It’s August 25, 1944, and the shrill voice is Adolph Hitler’s….Is Paris Burning? He smashes his fist on the table…Jodl! he screams at his chief of staff, I demand to know! Yes or No? Is Paris Burning Now?” All the important buildings, services for gas, electric, water, telephone, telegraph, transportation, every bridge and even the Eiffel Tower had been wired with massive explosives in order to leave nothing but smoldering ruins to slow down the allies, who at that very moment were advancing into Paris, spearheaded by the French 2nd Armored Division and the American 4th….only by a quirk of fate is the switch not thrown in those last few minutes; Paris is saved for the ages, to be enjoyed in her beauty and carefree spirit for generations to come….until Friday the 13th, 2015.
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It’s August 25, 1944, and the shrill voice is Adolph Hitler’s….Is Paris Burning? He smashes his fist on the table…Jodl! he screams at his chief of staff, I demand to know! Yes or No? Is Paris Burning Now?” All the important buildings, services for gas, electric, water, telephone, telegraph, transportation, every bridge and even the Eiffel Tower had been wired with massive explosives in order to leave nothing but smoldering ruins to slow down the allies, who at that very moment were advancing into Paris, spearheaded by the French 2nd Armored Division and the American 4th….only by a quirk of fate is the switch not thrown in those last few minutes; Paris is saved for the ages, to be enjoyed in her beauty and carefree spirit for generations to come….until Friday the 13th, 2015.
The subject line of this email is a powerful excerpt from a letter written by a friend and former employer of Elaine’s, Jed Scully. Among other positions, he was then the Director of the Law Clinics for The University of Loyola at Los Angeles when Elaine was hired to work for him long ago. Over the years he and his wife Glee become and remain good friends with Elaine and the family. We recently visited them at their home outside of Avranches, France, in the Normandy region, where they spend part of the year and the other part at their home in the Sacramento area.
With his permission, I am including this letter as an attachment so you too may share this eloquent and heart felt portrayal of recent events, and the attack through his eyes.
May God bless and keep you and your loved ones safe and well….
Chris
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”-Proust