Franco-American friendship: WWI expeditionary forces pay respects to Lafayette
“Lafayette, we are here.”
These famous words were spoken by Lt. Col. Charles E. Stanton
over the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette at Picpus Cemetery in Paris.
Accompanied Gen. John J. Pershing and the first American Expeditionary
Forces in France in 1917, the words marked a favor returned amongst
allies.
The French had come to the aid of the U.S.
during the Revolutionary War, with Lafayette a central figure
who remains a symbol of Franco-American friendship today.
Like the American World War I aviators who
would later volunteer to fight for France with the Lafayette
Escadrille, the French aristocrat sailed to the U.S. to fight before
France formally backed the colonies’ bid for freedom.
Lafayette was commissioned as a major
general in the Continental Army and served on George Washington’s
staff. Among his actions during the revolution, Lafayette was wounded at
Brandywine, led his first battle in Gloucester, New
Jersey, and wintered with Washington’s troops at Valley Forge. Lafayette
was a key lobbyist for France’s support of the American cause and took
part in negotiations with Great Britain for the Treaty of Paris signed
in 1783.
For the 50th anniversary
of the American Revolution, Lafayette – one of the last revolutionary
heroes – returned in 1824 to tour the 24 states in the union and
Washington. He was met with galas, parades, and ceremonies across the
country. Returning to France after the 13-month-tour, Lafayette brought
home soil from Bunker Hill to be sprinkled on his grave upon his death.
His son, George Washington Lafayette, honored this wish after his death
in 1834.
As the U.S. struggled with its support of
the Great War in Europe, Lafayette’s name was invoked as a symbol of
the enduring friendship between the U.S. and France to invoke popular
support for the war.
The French had come to the aid of the
United States during the Revolutionary War, and in 1917, French citizens
showed their gratitude and respect for the alliance renewed and the
favor returned.
American Expeditionary Forces with Gen. John J. Pershing pay their
respects at the tomb of Lafayette at Picpus Cemetery in Paris on July 4,
1917.
