commemoration
Oct. 19th, 2012 05:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterbadgerMy sister-in-law, posting in The Other Place, reminded me that today is the anniversary of the surrender at Yorktown, as commemorated in this fine painting.
A fine reminder that (a) what beat the British Army was not a ragtag band of frontier guerrilla riflemen, but a conventional, European-style army and (b) we didn't do it by ourselves. In the midst of all the snide mockery of the French in which Americans (especially members of our armed forces) often engage, it might behoove us to remember that without those "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" we might be just another mildly distinguished member of the Commonwealth. A little more humility and gratitude might not go amiss.
Charge your glasses, ladies and gentleman!
A health to His Excellency General Washington and the Continental Congress! And likewise to Marshal the Count Rochambeau and His Most Christian Majesty, King Louis! Confusion to German George and death to all tyrants!
Three cheers and a tiger! Hip, hip, huzzay!
A fine reminder that (a) what beat the British Army was not a ragtag band of frontier guerrilla riflemen, but a conventional, European-style army and (b) we didn't do it by ourselves. In the midst of all the snide mockery of the French in which Americans (especially members of our armed forces) often engage, it might behoove us to remember that without those "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" we might be just another mildly distinguished member of the Commonwealth. A little more humility and gratitude might not go amiss.
Charge your glasses, ladies and gentleman!
A health to His Excellency General Washington and the Continental Congress! And likewise to Marshal the Count Rochambeau and His Most Christian Majesty, King Louis! Confusion to German George and death to all tyrants!
Three cheers and a tiger! Hip, hip, huzzay!
