Speech for the 8th August 2004

To what can amount the life of a man?
To his words or in his tone of voice, in his gestures, in his glance, in his stature maybe, for those that knew him, in any cases, it amounts to something tangible beyond time. But for all those, who, little by little become the most numerous after his disappearance, those had no opportunity to know him, for all those, what does his life amount to ?
What is there left of John, Alvin, Patrick, Elton, Harry, Frank, Gilbert, Peter and Donald?

The crew of 1st / Lt JOHN p. KEYS was formed on May 3rd, 1944, on August 8th, 1944, they had completed 26 missions above Europe (very risky missions where the crew on 2 occasions during the missions of May 19th  and 24th , 1944 had to rely on their lucky star).
On June 6th, 1944, they entered History by the big door taking part in the  bombardment in the sector of Sword Beach. The exhilaration within the crew must have been huge, especially for Peter P. MARTIN who celebrated his 20th birthday.
On August 8th , 1944, the objective was the sector of Saint Sylvain. As part of  a tremendous armada of heavy bombers, the crew which flew for 2nd  time on B17 " 43-37865 " had to crush German defences under a carpet of bombs to support a large-scale British offensive: Operation TOTALIZE.
The crew would never reach the objective, their plane was hit lethally by the German flak, their B17 exploded in flight over the area of " Les Hauts-Champs" on the municipality of Périgny.
August 8th , 1944 should have been a normal day in Périgny, for those who had taken refuge in Les Hauts-Champs”. There were around thirty persons, from which the survivors are among us today. They were waiting for the liberation forces to arrive, the sound of the cannon already quite strong in the distance. And then, suddenly , at about 12.32pm , a tremendous explosion plunged " Les Hauts-Champs", for ever, into the horrors of the war.
A nightmarish vision which would remain memorized for ever by those that experienced it.
7 young Americans died for the liberation of France in Périgny's sky: 1st / Lt John P. KEYS, F/O ALVIN W. SAMUELSON, 2nd / Lt Patric H. LOLLIS, T / SGT HARRY D. PARK, T / SGT FRANK O. THOMAS, S/ SGT Peter P. MARTIN, S/ SGT Donald V. RIEGER.
2 aviators managed to evacuate the plane, one of them 2nd/Lt Elton DICKENS, 28 years old, father of a little girl died some hours after landing on the French ground.
The other one, S/SGT Gilbert A. BORBA escaped miraculously, wounded  seriously on the forehead, he was be arrested by German soldiers, he experienced the worst hardships in captivity. He was released on April 26th , 1945 and returned home in the United States in June, 1945.
He kept all the life in his soul and in his flesh the recollection of that day. Gilbert left us on March 4th , 1983.
In " Les Hauts-Champs" around August 15th , 1944, Mister CAUTRU and VAUTIER had to take care of a terrible job : They laid to rest with the utmost respect the bodies of the airmen.
There were three graves. 
For John P. KEYS and Alvin W. SAMUELSON their grave was their plane. Their bodies, horribly burned, were only recognizable with difficulty. Alvin's body was identified thanks to his watch.
The remains of five or six airmen were interred in the grave dug by Mister CAUTRU and VAUTIER.
Donald V. RIEGER was interred on the heights of the locality “Sous Le Mont” on the municipality of Saint Pierre la vieille.
On May 27th , 1946, the service of identification of the US ARMY  proceeded to the exhumation of the bodies which were then interred until 1948 in the  American military cemetery in Blosville.
Today, they rest(base) in peace in the United States.
We have the immense privilege, on this day to honor the memory of the crew of 1st / Lt John P. KEYS.
We send our gratitude to the families which lost one of theirs in this terrible tragedy.
I thank: Patricia, Carman, Gilbert, John, Robert and Sue, who did hesitate a single second to confide in me their always painful recollections.
I thank Patricia, the widow of Alvin W. SAMUELSON to be among us today. On August 8th , 1944, she had the presentiment of Alvin's death. She felt that Alvin was telling her: " I leave your life ". She comes to Périgny 60 years later to recollect the last moments of Alvin's life. But also to finish a mourning of 60 years.
In 1946, she received Alvin’s carbonized watch. She kept on her for a long time but it reminded her of the pain of Alvin and his companions too much. The people who sent her this watch thought of bringing her a little comfort, but Patricia could only think of Alvin dying in the burning plane. It is only 60 years later that she learnt that Alvin died in Périgny's sky The location of the first impact of grenade of German Flak on the plane does not leave any doubt about this.
Today, Alvin's body rests in peace in the cemetery of Big Rock (Ill) but his soul still glides over the Valley of " Becquerel's " bridge.
I thank the family of Gilbert A. BORBA, the survivor of August 8th  of whom 4 members are with us today.
Gilbert was a simple and brave man in his work. During his life, he had difficult professions.
Gilbert kept in his heart, a scar which was never really closed: that of August 8th .
Wounded physically and morally, he spoke rarely about his war. His diary was discovered accidentally after his death. If he had lived, would he have agreed to be among us today? Maybe not, but it’s not the important thing. The main thing is that Carman, Gilbert, Robert and John discover the place where Gilbert became a man. This cursed place about which he spoke rarely but which he never forgot.
Let us not forget Michael, the son of Patrick H. LOLLIS. He had to come to Périgny for two reasons: the first is to see the place where this father whom he has never known, died (Michael was born on October 29, 1944).
He had also to come to meet a family of Périgny: the family of Mister Emilien CAUTRU.
In 1944, Mr CAUTRU found on the body of one of the airmen a golden wedding band which he kept preciously in a white handkerchief in a drawer of one of his furniture.
In 1946, he gave it to an English officer, who promised to give it back to his family through the American authorities.
On it was engraved: PL in LL dated 25/04/1942.
PL, is Patrick H. LOLLIS, who got married on April 25, 1942 with Laura L. LADY.
60 years later, we learnt that the promise was kept.
Laura, on July 3rd , 1946, received the golden ring of her husband.
She kept it to give to Michael in memory of his father.
Michael will come later with Laura ( his mother) to Périgny, he will bring with him a moving object : His father’s wedding ring.
2nd/ t Patrick H. LOLLIS is interred in Sprienfield's national cemetery.


My gratitude will now cross the Atlantic Ocean and to go to a town in Vermont, Rutland. There, lives June WRIGH, the sister of Frank O. THOMAS. June should have been with us today, but a grave health problem forced her to stay in the United States.
Frank O. THOMAS was the operator radio, he wanted to become a lawyer but his life stopped in Périgny's sky.
We will not forget the brother of Harry D. PARK, the brother of Donald V. RIEGER, the sister and the daughter of Elton DICKENS who must be thinking of us today.
Let’s also not forget the French witnesses of the tragedy who told us their recollections of this day of August 8th  which they will never forget: Madam MARIE, Madame BELLANGER, Monsieur JOUVIN and Monsieur VAUTIER.
I thank beforehand those that did not dare to give me their testimony and that further to this day, would like to make this step. Please they do not hesitate.

What is left of John, Alvin, Patric, Elton, Harry, Frank, Gilbert, Peter and Donald?

Their names will remain forever engraved in stone. Our children, the children of our children and all those who will come later, will remember the sacrifice of these young Americans who came from so far away  to die for an country they did not know. They made the sacrifice of their lives for our freedom, let us never, ever forget.
This soil of the valley of Becquerel, is by the blood shed, a piece of American soil.
Thank you