Air Force Base France - 28 April 1966 As the Americans prepare to leave their air base in central France, Peter Lennon examines the influence the two communities have had on each other.
A man stands next to a sign at Chateauroux Air Base in central France, when the site was used as a NATO base between 1951 and 1967. Photo: Getty Images
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As soon as the French began to ignore the joy of chewing gum, and regardless of the need for American cigarettes, whitewashed signs began to be scratched on the walls of Paris: US GO HOME.
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Legend has it that one such statement, which can still be seen near the American camp at Chateauroux, was traced with a trembling hand by a night sniper who suddenly found himself accompanied by an Air Force Sgt. of two meters and two who administered the spell peacefully.. .
Now the Americans are returning home, after a stay of more than two years, and French journals which have devoted themselves to recording the influence which French and American societies have had during this period have sprung up against the shameful fact that. no side effects; no impact outside of normal emotions or bar fights. There are no two nations better equipped for perfect and pure coexistence than the Americans and the French. Americans take their way of life with them; The French cannot tolerate any way of life but their own. The American idea of making a genuine effort to expand society generally degenerates into the equivalent of transplanting the party from the office to the home; the thought of having anything but a family party at home would make most French people cringe. They all try to speak foreign languages as some sort of fun but dull and boring weekend pastime, like rollerblading rugby.
A typical French gesture of hospitality - an invitation to a family dinner - must have hurt the Americans. Despite his good humor, the American quickly grasped the reality of the situation: that he was a poor foreigner called upon to be impressed by his host's decor, superior culinary skills, and wine history.
But the real damage came when the French discovered that the Americans preferred their PX rations; frozen meats, dried strawberries and dry milk. Local shopkeepers resented the PX simply because it gave coveted money, but never thought of advertising in English to attract new customers. When the Americans tried the local store, a French journalist recalled to Chateauroux merchants, "the prices had a bad tendency to vary according to the physiology of the customer."
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Even marriage to a French girl did not improve communication. As for the French father-in-law, "giving away" the daughter was a key word in the ritual. Although there need not have been any intentional hostility, indifference made very little inroads in French circles with the American husband. Women then tended to become as American as possible, and this potential connection to country weakened.
What should have surprised Americans at first was the eagerness with which Americans appropriated French, or English, words and manners, and still looked down on the foreigner, pretending to be in drugstores and smoking (jackets), they have been dressed in "smoke". (about) eating "snacks" and playing pin machines for years. These days they also have 'work' and have hijacked the word 'bus' to mean something that moves in style.
But once taken out of their mother tongue the words become completely French (he smiles patiently when you pronounce "then" correctly). It has nothing to do with valuing people. It's the heron's instincts that go hand in hand with its cooking techniques.
Although the French must have suspected that the Americans had their own little prejudices, they should have been hurt to see in the text a clear illustration of the American idea that France was a nice "little" country, but lower Chateauroux's pamphlet for newcomers urgently warned of the dangers of central heating in France; conservation stated that the current must always be flooding the room. (If anything annoys a Frenchman more than his liver, it's imaginary drafts.)
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Chateauroux also openly stated: "French drivers are being aggressive and riding the road in a unique way. BE READY TO PULL THE BRAKES AT ANY TIME."
But both sides learned little. When the Americans asked potential Chateauroux workers to automatically answer the question, "Are you a member of a political party?" The strong finger of the union was pointed at them and they surrendered without provocation, they were mildly surprised that many communist workers seemed to have a tendency to commit sabotage.
The Americans also left some culture behind. Twenty-five French families in Chateauroux were converted to the Baptist faith. And an American priest, who is French by birth. But of course he's known around town as "The American." This article includes a list of general references, but lacks proper corresponding citations. Please help improve this article by entering more accurate citations. (January 2013) (Learn how and how to remove this message template)
From 1951 to 1966, the United States Air Force sent thousands of personnel and hundreds of fighter jets to France to counter the build-up of Soviet military forces in Eastern Europe. The Cold War turned into an attempt to seize West Berlin in 1948. This convinced the Western nations to form a collective defense organization. The negotiations led to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO's defense strategy came to include land, sea and air forces.
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Because of West Germany's vulnerability to Soviet attack, USAF planners did not want the new tactical air units transferred to the US area of operation. In 1950, United States Air Force Europe (USAFE) required all tactical air units to be located west of the Rhine River to provide greater antiaircraft warning time. France agreed to provide air bases.
Between 1950 and 1967, the United States Air Force operated 11 major air bases in France. There were other communication sites, scattered NATO operations centers, small depots and small facilities at various French airports, including Orly Airport and Marseille Province Airport. The US military also established a large military base in France, and was responsible for the construction and maintenance of many air bases.
France was a founding member of NATO that was born on August 24, 1949. The first non-French NATO force in France was the 1630th Air Force Base of the USAF Military Aviation Service , established in June 1950 in Paris - Orly Air Base. On 28 February 1958 the official name of Orly Air Base was changed to Orly Airport and most MATS flights were sent to Chateauroux Air Depot.
After 15 years of leading the US Air Force, French President Charles de Gaulle decided to expel non-French NATO troops from France. On March 7, 1966, he announced that France would withdraw from the military structure of NATO. He gave foreign NATO forces a year to leave France. Before that, it refused to store nuclear weapons from other countries on French soil.
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The State Department, the US Department of Defense and the Air Force carefully managed the news of the US withdrawal from France and the emerging problems of NATO air defense in Western Europe and the decline of air power .
Due to US media coverage of the Vietnam War, the withdrawal of foreign forces, especially US, NATO from France has not been reported to the US.
During 1966-67 all USAF offices and facilities in France were closed and personnel and equipment relocated. USAFE's last operations were the 1630th Air Base Squadron at Orly Airport and the Paris Administrative Office. Both closed in June 1967.
On October 23, 1967, all foreign flags were flown and after 17 years the last foreign NATO forces left France.
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Today, many of the former USAF airfields in France are used by the French military and are not accessible to tourists.
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