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we've seen pet owners overwhelmingly elevate their pets to family member status with the idea that pets' lifestyles
health and nutritional needs mirror their own
This trend reinforces the growth of premiumization as pet parents are increasingly projecting their own wellness concerns onto their pets and want foods
treats and supplements to be on par with human offerings
To help meet the needs of modern pet parents
we recently opened a new premix production line at our pet nutrition facility in Chierry
We celebrated the opening of the facility with a two-day event in Château-Thierry (Champagne region
Guests attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony and took a tour of the expanded production plant
as well as participated in presentations about the pet food market
biotics in pet applications and new premix line opportunities
"Our new pet premix capabilities allow us to explore novel ways of blending specific ingredients
opening up incredible potential for innovation that helps position ADM as a go-to partner for pet solutions," says ADM pet nutrition president
"Functional solutions with nutritional and health benefits are a powerful driver for growth and enable an endless field of opportunities."
The state-of-the-art line concentrates on premium and functional pet premixes
which can be used in the production of dry and wet pet food
and dietary solutions–greatly expanding ADM's pet nutrition capabilities
The plant incorporates the newest technology to easily answer future demands and drive innovation with customers to uncover new solutions for pets
We've also invested in advanced hygiene and cleaning technology within the production line
allowing us to reduce the risk of cross-contamination to an unprecedented level
"ADM's expansive portfolio of top-quality ingredients allows customers to eliminate the complexity of sourcing ingredients and qualifying suppliers
ADM is the strategic partner for developing on-trend pet food and treat innovations that appeal to today's pet parents while ensuring unsurpassed safety and quality," said Martinez
Mondelez said 61 positions will be eliminated by mid-2026 at the plant
Mondelez International is set to shut a biscuit plant in France by the end of 2025 as the snacks giant aims to “safeguard its competitiveness”
Production at the Château-Thierry site in Aisne
northern France will be phased out over the next two years
Mondelez described the facility as “very old and would require substantial investment over the next few years to modernise its infrastructure and equipment”
The Lu brand owner said 61 positions will be eliminated by mid-2026 at the plant
Mondelez added that the Château-Thierry site has no capacity for new production lines and its current production rate is lagging behind its other sites
“Despite the measures taken in recent years to optimise production
production at Château-Thierry costs on average twice as much as other Mondelez International sites in the rest of Europe
with no prospect of improvement,” a statement read
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard
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Production will be transferred over to other group sites
mainly La Haye-Fouassière in Loire-Atlantique in western France
with a €10m ($10.8m) investment in a new production line and a new packaging line
production of the Figolu biscuit brand – which is carried out by an external partner in the UK – will be relocated to La Haye-Fouassière
“This project confirms that France is a strategic country for the group
despite the difficulties we are facing,” Roberto Gambaccini
industrial director for Mondelez’s France business
“Despite the measures we’ve taken in recent years to optimise it
production at Château-Thierry still costs on average twice as much as at our other sites in the rest of Europe
The Milka chocolate maker stated it will maintain the same overall volume of production in France with the reorganisation
“I’m well aware of how difficult this project is for the employees at Château-Thierry,” Gambaccini added
“Management has proposed to the social partners that they conclude a method agreement
which would define the means and framework of the information-consultation procedure in order to guarantee open
transparent and respectful social dialogue.”
Mondelez’s sales in Europe grew 14.5% to $12.86bn on an organic basis
Volume/mix inched up 0.7 percentage points
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has bought a castle in the French countryside
Located in the verdant central French village of Gargilesse-Dampierre — ranked among the prettiest places in France — along the Creuse river, Gargilesse Castle was built by the Counts of Gargilesse in the 8th century
Breton purchased the building from a local painter
who had bought the castle in 1998 to use as an art gallery
and intends to keep it as a cultural space
According to local daily Le Berry Républicain
the French commissioner discreetly carried out the purchase several months ago for an undisclosed amount
Breton’s wish,” Thévenin told the local outlet
Breton’s Cabinet confirmed he had indeed bought the castle but declined to further comment
Gargilesse-Dampierre Mayor Martine Sabroux-Idoux and former owner Thévenin were not immediately available for comment
“Discussions are continuing” between the two governments on the U.K
and European officials are sparring in meetings of the International Energy Agency
which helps guide global investments and policies
President Donald Trump over immigration and rebuking U.S
it wasn’t enough that Luc Rémont turned around France’s state-owned nuclear firm
He wanted a CEO who put French industry first and built local reactors faster
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The United States Army and Marine Corps began arriving in France in 1917 following the nation's declaration of war against Germany in April of the same year
The army formed the largest body of troops and consisted of three different organizations: eight Regular Army divisions
seventeen National Guard divisions and eighteen National Army divisions
formed by men drafted for national service
Most of 1917 was spent training the troops in the US
further training by our French and British allies and then taking over sections of the allied trench line as the units became ready for front line service
The timeline below lists the major operations that the Americans participated in
It begins in late 1917 and early 1918 with small supportive roles to the British Army
as the number of American units increased and were ready for combat
they fought with the French Army in defensive battles that ended the series of German attacks begun in March 1918 that were intended to defeat the allies.American participation in the Champagne-Marne Operation
is an example and is significant because it stopped the final German attack
put them on the defensive and marks the first allied attack that began the campaign that forced the them out of France and Flanders and for them to ask for an armistice in November 1918
American troops continued to serve with British and French armies up until the end of the war as shown in the list of operations
as the US Army grew in size and experience it began to undertake its own major offensives such as the September 12-16
Mihiel Operation and the September 26-November 11
1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Each of these and the months of manning sections of the allied defensive line produced the casualties that Base Hospital 28 and other American Medical Department units were created to treat
where data is available the numbers of casualties resulting from these specific periods of intense fighting are provided
Nurse bathing the eyes of a gassed patient
these statistics do not convey the entire picture of what the Medical Department faced in terms of the numbers of men they would treat
Mihiel Operation resulted in 8,600 casualties
but in this sector between January 8-September 11 and September 17-November 11
1918 there were 18,695 casualties in addition to the 8,600
By the end of the war the American Army suffered 52
1917-The Battle of Cambrai: three regiments of US Army engineers are attached to support the British 3rd Army's attack at Cambrai
1918-The Somme Defense: three regiments of US Army engineers and four aero squadrons are attached to support the British 5th Army's defense against the German Army's ‘Michael Offensive' in northern France
1918-The Lys Operation: three regiments of US Army engineers and one pursuit squadron are attached to support the British Army's defense against the German's ‘Georgette Offensive' in Flanders
1918-The Aisne Defensive Operation: the American 2nd Infantry Division
4th Marine Brigade and smaller units were attached to the French Army for the defense against the German Army's 'Blucher-Yorck Offensive'.May 28-31
1918-The Battle of Cantigny: the American 1st Infantry Division contributes to the French counter-attack resulting in the capture of Cantigny
1918-The Battle of Chateau-Thierry: the American 2nd Infantry Division and 2nd field Artillery Brigade support the French counter-attack that captures Chateau-Thierry
1918-The Battle of Belleau Wood: the American 7th Infantry Regiment
4th Marine Brigade and the engineers of the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions support the French Army by their successful capture and defense of Belleau Wood
1918-The Battle of Montdidier-Noyon: the American 1st Infantry Division contributes to the French counter-attack by their capture of Montdidier-Noyon.June 26-July 3
1918-The Battle of Vaux: the American 2nd Infantry Division support the French counter-attack with the capture of Vaux
1918-The Champagne-Marne Operation: the American 26th
28th and 42nd Infantry Divisions and the 369th Infantry Regiment with the French 6th
5th and 4th Armies successfully defend against the German 'Friedenstrum Offensive' and launch a counter-attack on July 18th
1918-The Aisne-Marne Operation: the American 1st
42nd and 32nd Infantry Divisions are organized into the American I and III Corps that participate with the French 10th
9th and 5th armies in the Franco-American offensive that marks the beginning of the German Army's retreat from France
1918-The Oisne-Aisne Operation: the American III Corps Headquarters
77th Infantry Divisions and the 370th Infantry Regiment are attached to the French 10th
6th and 5th armies and contribute to the French counter-attacks over four months that cause the Germans to retreat and to ask for an armistice
American wounded arrive at a Field Hospital
1918-The Ypres-Lys Operation: the American 27th
37th and 91st Infantry Divisions are attached to the Belgian
French 6th and British 2nd armies in support of the allied offensives in Flanders that forced the retirement of the German Army from Flanders
1918-The Vittorio Veneto: the American 332nd Infantry Regiment
331st Field Hospital and a motor truck train are attached to the British 31st Division in support of the allied counter-attack against the Austro-Hungarian Army in northern Italy
1918-The Somme Offensive: the American 27th
78th and 80th Infantry Divisions are organized as the American II Corps and fought with the British 4th Army in eight engagements in Belgium and in northern France at the Battles of Bellicourt
Mihiel Operation: the American First Army that consisted of the American I
IV and V Corps with the support of the French II Colonial Corps successfully reduced the St Mihiel salient by attacking and forcing the German Army to retreat from the Salient
Men of the 35th Division feeding a wounded German
1918-The Meuse-Argonne Offensive: the American First Army that consisted of the American I
IV and V Corps with the support of the French Fourth Army launches its largest operation that led to the retreat of the German Army and their asking for an armistice ending American operations and the war
American Armies and Battlefields in Europe
Center of Military History United States Army (Washington
The War to End All Wars The American Military Experience in World War I (Madison
Photographic images: National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
United States Army In The World War 1917-1919
Military Operations of the American Expeditionary Forces
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The Bronx Supreme Court Building is an enormous Art Deco totem of justice—a limestone and copper fortress with a magnificent terrace featuring marble figures representing law
But off to a corner on the terrace near the Grand Concourse and in sight of Yankee Stadium is a humble monument commemorating a century-old battle
It’s a keystone marking a crucial episode during the Great War—the July 1918 battle of Chateau Thierry
American forces helped the French beat back the German offensive
The keystone “is from an arch of the old bridge at Chateau Thierry
gloriously and successfully defended by American troops,” the plaque on the granite base reads
The monument looks like many other modest, mostly forgotten memorials around the city. But there’s a story behind how it ended up here, and it has more to do with the threat of World War II than honoring bravery in World War I
“Using the auspices of a New York City American Legion post
this was ultimately decided to be the site of the gift
World War II had begun and the French Republic was in great jeopardy.”
But why the Bronx? Perhaps it had to do with the World War I hospital and Army training camp then located farther north in the borough
on the site of today’s Montefiore Medical Center
The hospital and camp was called Chateau Thierry, after the famous battle, according to Northwest Bronx by Bill Twomey and Thomas X
Interestingly, there’s also the Chateau Thierry apartments on Union Street in Crown Heights
The bright yellow elements are gilt copper
Yes, copper and nickel per this informative site: http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/courthouses-counties/bronx.html
I have seem this many time but never stop to read the story of this stone until the day
Thanks for reminding us how this was a very important event
Did you ever look into why they put it at this location
That still seems to be a mystery…maybe it just worked out with the new building opening and heralding a new era
I expect that a big reason may have been the presence of the US 1st Infantry Division
the “Big Red One,” whose regiments were drawn from Fort Hamilton’s Regular Army units
the division was based in Fort Hamilton and it had a long association with New York City
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View in National Archives Catalog
This year and next we observe the centennial of World War I
When President Woodrow Wilson asked for a declaration of war against Germany in April 1917
he declared that “the world must be made safe for democracy,” and two million “doughboys” fought for that ideal on the battlefields of Europe
involvement in the war—at home and abroad—created mountains of federal records documenting American activities
and those records make the National Archives the largest repository of American World War I records
we are focused on creating greater access to these records in a variety of ways
For several years, thanks to an anonymous donor, we have been preserving and digitizing rare World War I and World War II films. The World War I footage alone amounts to nearly 150 miles of film
we have been developing a way to bring this incomparable film resource to people’s fingertips
At the end of February we launched a new app designed to make World War I films and photographs more accessible than ever
The app is designed for educators at all levels and the museum community
but it can be used by anyone interested in exploring the imagery of America’s role in the war
The Library of Congress and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History are partners with us in this endeavor
and the app will include material from all three institutions
Additional material for educators can be found on DocsTeach.org
where our education staff have highlighted primary sources and online teaching activities on a special World War I page
To further showcase our significant holdings of documents, films, still pictures, maps, and other media, we are building a new World War I portal on Archives.gov
will bring together National Archives resources related to World War I for researchers
We’ll also tell the stories of World War I here in Prologue, in programs and exhibits around the country
which will feature the letters Captain Harry Truman wrote to his wife
Truman was a very proud World War I veteran
and additional material about his service will be added to the library’s website over the summer
Two traveling exhibits from the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service will focus on the home front and the battlefront. “Over Here” will document Americans at home, and “Over There” will showcase overseas military photography
We’re pleased to assist the United States World War One Centennial Commission to commemorate America’s role during the Great War through public programs at many of our facilities
Through our agency’s liaison with the commission
we can coordinate programs and showcase our significant collections of federal records created in 1917 and 1918
What was the supposed to be “the war to end all wars” eventually became known as the First World War when
the deeds and sacrifices of Americans in the Great War have sometimes been overlooked
This centennial commemoration encourages us to remember and rediscover their stories through the records they left behind
Join the Archivist at his own blog
Contact Us · Accessibility · Privacy Policy · Freedom of Information Act · No FEAR Act · USA.gov
Iowans streamed through the State Fair gates in record-breaking numbers to attend the “Victory Fair,” which celebrated World War I’s end
Still reeling from the war’s carnage
they were hopeful that an era of peace and prosperity was dawning
and improved roads enabled people to drive to the fair instead of taking a train
Iowans were eager to put the war behind them
But the war was seemingly everywhere on the fairgrounds
The main exhibit of the Victory Fair’s daytime program was the War Department’s display of weapons and trophies from the Western front
Iowans marveled at a 35-ton tank (a new weapon in WWI)
The exhibit saluted Allied victory and allowed fairgoers to see the technology that had transformed warfare
automobiles and household appliances had remade farm life
The Battle of Chateau Thierry,” re-enacted the battle in France that turned the tide of the war against Germany in 1918
disaster spectacles headlined the fair’s entertainment from the 1890s into the 1930s
Thousands of spectators gaped as a cast of 300 portrayed American
French and German troops and clashed before the grandstand
culminating with a fireworks barrage that leveled the 450-foot wide set
A crew of 50 workers scrambled to rebuild the set in time for the next evening’s performance
The fair’s advertisements stated that the spectacle was “under the direction of military experts” and presented a realistic view of warfare
but it was principally an eye-popping extravaganza to entertain viewers
Veterans doubtless found it less than realistic
Register reporter Sue McNamara observed that a billboard for “Chateau Thierry” elicited nothing but “grins and groans” from a trainload of veterans returning home from the war in 1919
The actual Battle of Chateau Thierry was a bloody fight
American troops went “over the top,” leaving their trenches to assault the enemy lines and defeat some of Germany’s most battle-hardened troops
stated that the 167th Alabama and 168th Iowa displayed “gallantry I do not believe has been surpassed in military history” at Chateau Thierry
and 227 Iowans from the 168th gave their lives at Chateau Thierry and lie buried there
The 168th fought in some of the war’s toughest battles
suffering a total of 677 soldiers killed and 3,100 wounded in the war.
The 168th Infantry had trained on the fairgrounds in 1917 and received an emotional sendoff from thousands of well-wishers as their train departed from the fairgrounds and the regiment headed for France in early September
in which Chaplain Robb met with grieving families and shared reminiscences of the young Iowans buried so far from home
As the Register’s Sue McNamara observed
jarringly at odds with the fair’s festivity
Determined that the heroism of the 168th not be forgotten
“The Price of Our Heritage; in Memory of the Heroic Dead of the 168 Infantry,” in 1919
Filled with photographs and testimonials to the soldiers’ bravery and sacrifice
Robb’s book is as inspiring and heartrending as any war memorial:
"He always volunteered for the most dangerous missions.”
“A shell lit by his side and he was blown to atoms
No part of him could be found to bury.”
“He was known for his ability to sing a song that would make you forget your troubles.”
“He was the youngest boy in the regiment.”
World War I’s staggering toll caused Americans to feel a mixture of grief
The 1919 Victory Fair celebrated the Allies’ triumph
but that celebration was tempered by the war’s awful cost
Iowans hoped that the men of the 168th and the millions killed in the war had not sacrificed in vain
and that the conflict would truly be “the war to end war.” And so they turned to the future
is a professor of history at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck
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FRANCE --With the battle streamers and colors of the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division flying
officials from the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation joined U.S.
French military and political leaders to dedicate a memorial Nov
12 to the Soldiers who fought at the Croix Rouge Farm in the summer of 1918
whose members served in Iraq in 2005 and which has elements across the northeast
is headquartered at the Glenmore Road Armory
located on the site of the battle near Fère-en-Tardenois
honors the service and sacrifice of WWI servicemen of the 42nd Infantry Division
in particular the men of the 167th Infantry Regiment
an Alabama Army National Guard unit called to federal service in the "war to end all wars."
the ten-foot bronze sculpture statue depicts an American Soldier carrying a dead comrade from the battlefield
The memorial is the gift of an Alabaman in the name of his father
which involved a bayonet charge by the 167th Infantry Regiment
The Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation remembers the service of the 167th Infantry Regiment
part of the 42nd "Rainbow" Division of World War I
educational programs and literature on World War I
it promotes the memory of American involvement in World War I and
The combat unit received its nickname "Rainbow Division" when its first chief of staff
then-colonel Douglas MacArthur described the makeup of the 26 National Guard units within the division as "stretching across America like a rainbow."
"This statue on French soil will remind future generations of American deeds in World War I," said Monique Seefried
President of the Board of Directors for the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation
"The aim of this foundation is to remember the men of the Rainbow in World War I but also to make their history better known
It would be important to ensure that the men serving today in the Rainbow are aware of this memorial and learn that nearly 100 years later
The memorial was erected on grounds that have remained unchanged since the days of the battle
The foundation purchased what remains of the fortified farmhouse of the Croix Rouge and some of the land where the battle took place
The remainder of the land is now owned by the adjoining Croix Blanche Farm
"It is fitting that this monument will remember the tremendous service and sacrifice of the Rainbow Division's 167th Alabama and 168th Iowa Regiments," said Maj
commander of the 42nd Infantry Division in written remarks sent for the ceremony
"These Rainbow Soldiers contributed greatly to the liberation of the Chateau-Thierry salient and proved the worth of the American Expeditionary Force in France."
"Let me also add our division's praise to the memorial sculptor James Butler," Wickstrom said
vision and work captures the devotion to duty and tremendous sacrifice of our Alabama Regiment and of all servicemen in the Great War
Rainbow Division Veterans Memorial Foundation members joined with Opelika
Mayor Gary Fuller and City Council President Eddie Smith to represent the Soldiers and descendents of the 42nd Infantry Division at the site of the battle
"I would like this memorial to the Rainbow in World War I to be also a gesture of appreciation to these new generations and a way to tell them that we won't forget them," Seefried said
"Today's men and women of the Rainbow Division continue to live up to the legacy of Chateau-Thierry
the Ourcq and the Argonne," Wickstrom said
"They have done so at ground zero where the towers fell in New York City
in the mountains of Afghanistan and across the cities and sands of Iraq
We are as deeply committed today to the cause of liberty and freedom that filled the ranks of the Rainbow during the Great War."
The Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation
New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs
Photos of the dedication ceremony
Video of the memorial dedication.
New French Battlefield Memorial Honors National Guard Soldiers of World War I
The War to End All Wars ended a century ago
The brash Americans through sheer numbers and individual heroics ended the stalemate of World War I trench warfare in western Europe
“We got there in the nick of time to stave off the attack,” said retired Col
a retired military historian living in Fayetteville
“Even British historians will admit the war could not have been won without the Americans.”
The Russians quit the war in 1917 and freed up a million German troops to leave the Eastern Front to fight the French and British
answered President Woodrow Wilson’s call to make the world safe for democracy
The young men fell in the Argonne Forest and at St
116,708 American military personnel died from combat
About as many died from the flu as died in combat
More than 160 county residents died of the Spanish flu
World War I was an introduction to modern war tactics and structure
Machine guns lay waste to vain Napoleonic charges
Armored tanks accompanied infantry assaults
Airplanes strafed troops and observation balloons
Truck convoys moved to replace horse-drawn wagon trains
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The mechanized war signaled the end to chivalry
“The American Expeditionary Force was the most sentimental outfit that ever lived,” John T
Wintinnly wrote in the introduction of a book of Doughboy poems
“Most of it – so it seemed to anyone who served on the staff of The Stars and Stripes – wrote poetry.”
“Everyone is considered a belligerent,” Mastriano said
“Everyone pulled together in supporting the troops.”
meatless Tuesdays and wheatless Wednesdays
The war is “generally relegated to the dustbin of history,” Mastriano writes in his most recent book
this national amnesia misses the fact that World War I thrust the United States onto the world scene as a dominant economic
Mastriano is hard on Wilson for failing to prepare the nation for war
John “Black Jack” Pershing for relying on costly frontal assaults that cost thousands of soldiers their lives in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
military’s largest and bloodiest fight ever
More than 1.2 million Americans fought in the battle that eventually routed the Germans
Archie Monn of Waynesboro was one of the 122,093 U.S
Philip Evans Kriechbaum of Chambersburg was among the 26,277 killed in action
The Germans suffered more than 100,000 casualties
and a ceasefire declared at the "11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month." The conflict formally ended when Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles on June 28
The Americans who returned to their homes in rural Pennsylvania had seen the horrors of the Great War and the sophistication of Paris
Below are stories from the battlefields about other local soldiers.
The namesake of the American Legion 373 in Greencastle taught math before the war
Carbaugh, 22, died on Aug. 1, 1918, in a hospital in France from wounds he suffered in the Second Battle of the Marne. He wrote “The Fields of the Marne” on his death bed
Appearing first in the Army’s newspaper “Stars and Stripes,” the poem was published in 1919 with 83 others by American Doughboys in “Yanks; A.E.F
and served in the Sanitary Detachment of the 7th Machine Gun Battalion
in May 1921 met the train that brought their youngest son's remains back to Pennsylvania
He is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Antrim Township
“No mother ever reared a braver boy,” according to a story written about his death
recounts that the cheerful Carbaugh never talked much about himself
More: An ocean apart for 70 years, sons of Italian POW meet for first time
His fellow patients “did know that the sergeant lay out in the open a long time after he was wounded," the story shares. "Medical records show that
and they operated at the first hospital he reached. But gangrene had set in
in an effort to save him. They have had lots of brave patients that doctors and nurses and patients admired alike in that hospital
The story quotes Wagoner John Trask: "Our sergeant is gone
I loved that fellow like my own brothers. I've seen other fellows go but I never felt like this."
president and CEO of the Allison-Antrim Museum in Greencastle assembled Carbaugh's history
Annually around Veterans Day the museum exhibits uniforms and memorabilia of local veterans who served in World War I
Carbaugh was wounded near Chateau Thierry in one of the first battles for the American Expeditionary Force
The 7th Machine Gun Battalion rode 110 miles in 30 hours by truck and repulsed the Germans on the banks of the Marne River
The world press followed the battle closely
Read Carbaugh's "The Fields of the Marne" here.
Supply horsesAbout two weeks after Carbaugh’s death
another local soldier camped near Chateau Thierry
Funk of Chambersburg remarked the village “wasn’t shot up as bad as I thought.”
following the front line, had camped in a wheatfield
only a few feet from tent,” he wrote home on Aug
“We had to cover them up with more dirt as one of the dead soldier’s hand was sticking out of the ground
The guns are roaring on the front.”
The Remount Squadron 302 was a combination veterinary and blacksmith service for Army supply lines
Horses and mules proved more reliable than the newly invented mechanized transportation
An estimated 8 million of them died on the Western Front
Funk’s Grocery Store at 422 N. Second St. in Chambersburg
He is the great uncle of local historian Mike Marotte III
Funk recounts the emaciated condition of German prisoners of war and having to boil his clothes to get rid of cooties (body lice; not the imaginary kind)
On the day after the Meuse-Argonne Offensive started
he was about 25 miles behind the line when he wrote his mother:
“We’ve been giving it to the ‘Boche’ for the last couple of days
They started about 12:30 in the morning and there was no more sleeping that night for us
We could see the men jump out with a parachute and our men brought down the two German airplanes near here
The German Pilots weren’t killed only wounded.”
Scroll to the end of this story or click here to see letters from Funk
incorporated into a timeline of WWI.
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest and bloodiest operation of World War I for the American Expeditionary Force
The inexperienced Americans quickly learned the futility of frontal attacks in modern warfare
Philip Evans Kriechbaum of Chambersburg fell in the battle for the Argonne Forest on Oct
was working as a trainman for the Cumberland Valley Railroad when he was drafted
“Lieutenant Kriechbaum had fallen a victim of the Huns’ bullets,” his brother
Kriechbaum was about 20 feet ahead of his company leading it into the thick of battle when he fell.”
Roy was recovering from battle wounds he suffered on Aug
Roy served with the 112th Infantry and left France in April 1919 for the states
also was drafted and served during the war
More: Days from age 98, WWII veteran is of two minds about war
MacPhee lassoed the kids on North Street in Waynesboro
He showed them his pistols and his rope tricks from the time he was a cowpoke in the West
MacPhee had moved to Waynesboro after spying a thresher with “Frick Company
“He figured that was closer to his home in New York
so he came here and got a job at Frick Company,” said Pat Heefner of Waynesboro
Heefner’s parents met because of “Uncle Mac.”
MacPhee’s letters home from the front in France were nearly as colorful as his adventurous life -- whether about body lice or the combat death of a friend
“As I happen to have a few leisure moments thought I would just knock off a few lines just to let you know I am still in the land of the living
Just now for the first time in France I am in a room with a bed in it
Just think of it; a bed. Just today I had a fine hot bath not exactly my first since our arrival
I started a fire under a big cauldron then pulled the fire and climbed in
Did you mention “Cooties” in one of your letters
Well I must confess I have them and plenty of them at that
During the day I have to pile rocks on my blankets to keep the playful little insects from dragging them away
I plan on bringing a few dozen home with me so you won’t have to take my word as to their size or ferocity.”
He wrote to his mother of his fallen comrade
after postponing the chore more than a month:
“On the 29th day of September our company went over the top and as we had been bereft of our officers the preceding day the responsibility for the success of our operation fell entirely upon our sergeants
“The platoon of which Jack was in command has as its objective one of the most difficult of access of the whole movement
so upon his courage and presence of mind rested the success of the whole movement
for it broke the Hun’s famous stronghold
and those who participated in it their names will go down in history
“But such a wonderful victory cannot be won without paying a heavy price
and I lost the best friend and brother that any man ever had.”
Pershing at the Mexican border in pursuit of Poncho Villa
He was a sergeant during World War I with the Machine Gun Company
Read full letters from MacPhee here.
The battlefield wasn’t the only place to die in service of your country
Consider three early causalities from Franklin County:
More: Soldiers tell the story of the Vietnam War
The Spanish flu, the killer bug of 1918
The flu also came home.The virus killed civilians thousands of miles from the battle zone
and possibly up to 6 percent of the world’s population
Some epidemiologists contend that the trench warfare in France incubated the influenza virus into a pandemic killer
The main wave of the flu was introduced to the U.S
Within six weeks soldiers were deathly ill at training camps in California and Washington state
Franklin County had its first influenza case in late September
according to research by Chambersburg genealogist Pam Anderson
Her cause of death was initially “lobar pneumonia,” but by November local authorities considered her death the first in the flu epidemic
were living at their parents’ home possibly because Mary was pregnant or was caring for Gladys
Mary gave birth to a son on the day Gladys died
2 of “lobular pneumonia due to influenza.” The sisters’ obituaries appeared side by side
but family mourned alone because public gatherings were restricted
Gladys and Mary are buried in Norland Cemetery
72 in Waynesboro and more elsewhere in the county
Sickness forced factories and grocery stores to close
Wingert canceled Halloween because a fifth of the population was sick from the flu or in recovery
The flu in October also claimed the life of Florence Matthews
She was treating the wounded at Crozer Hospital in Chester
Matthews was one of five local nurses to die of the Spanish flu during the war
according to local researcher Sue Burkey. Another died of spinal meningitis
Their names are listed among the 86 names on Chambersburg’s Doughboy stature on Lincoln Way East
Burkey arranged on Sunday for a World War I veteran marker to be placed at Matthews’ grave in Cedar Grove Cemetery
nearly 30,000 of them before they got to France
according to Carol Byerly writing for the National Institutes of Health
About 20 to 40 percent of Army and Navy personnel were stricken September through November 1918
coincidentally the height of the American involvement in the conflict
More than 53,000 Americans died in combat in World War I
according to the Veterans Administration.More than 675,000 Americans died of the flu in 1918
according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Below: Check out an interactive timeline featuring letters from Lawrence Funk interspersed with important historical points in the war.
Brian Faltinson has worn the Red Arrow patch on his uniform
So did tens of thousands of soldiers before him.
The 32nd Infantry Division of Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard soldiers earned that nickname a century ago when the unit sliced through enemy lines like a red arrow during three major offensives of World War I
traveled to France to visit battlefields where the Red Arrow Division had fought to spread word of the unit's history to current National Guard members
Faltinson and National Guard historians from Ohio and Maine were chosen to be part of the U.S
Army Center of Military History's World War I centennial commemoration
He spent three weeks in Europe in July and August participating in events at American cemeteries
giving lectures to soldiers at battle sites and partaking in a 10-mile historic foot march following the attack lines of three National Guard divisions near Chateau-Thierry
National Guard delegations from 15 states
traveled to France to take part in the 100th anniversary of the final year of the bloody conflict to better understand their units' lineage and history
As part of his job as a historian, Faltinson spread photos and maps showing the movement of battles as uniformed soldiers crowded around
"I remember I had just got done talking about an action in Belgium when a sergeant major took his troops into those positions and he said 'your ancestors were a couple hundred yards that way,' " said Faltinson
a major who has served almost three decades in the Wisconsin National Guard
RELATED: Wisconsin is going on the road to recruit military members leaving the Armed Forces for thousands of job openings here
RELATED: American Legion post in South Milwaukee honors namesake on the centennial anniversary of his death
"He challenged them to think about how they would lead their soldiers in such a difficult situation to attack a very tough enemy position
That teaching moment was really powerful stuff," Faltinson said in a phone interview Tuesday
Faltinson deployed to Iraq in 2004-'05 with Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, which is part of the 32nd Division. As part of his job as a Wisconsin National Guard historian, Faltinson has helped put together the "Dawn of the Red Arrow" World War I commemoration project with daily historical information on Facebook and a 90-minute documentary scheduled to be completed this fall.
The 32nd Division that fought in World War I included 15,000 Wisconsin soldiers and 8,000 from Michigan. All were volunteers.
Though the National Guard formed decades earlier, World War I is considered the beginning of the modern National Guard's role to support the U.S. Army, a mission it continued in World War II and current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 32nd Division fought in three major offensives including the Second Battle of the Marne and the 42-day Battle of the Meuse-Argonne at the end of the war.
"That first generation of Red Arrow soldiers of World War I were a highly respected division and took a lot of pride in that. There's a lot of recognition that the 32nd Division performed a lot of very difficult missions of World War I and they continued that legacy in World War II with their actions in the Pacific," said Faltinson, who earned a master's degree in history from Marquette and worked 19 years as a civilian historian.
More than 2,200 soldiers in the 32nd Division were killed and 11,000 were wounded within a few months in 1918. The fallen were quickly buried in temporary cemeteries before reinterring them in large American cemeteries after the war.
When Faltinson was participating in the 10-mile historic march, he stopped at the site of the Second Battle of the Marne and was interpreting the battle for soldiers when the village mayor walked up.
Faltinson showed the mayor of Sergy, France, a 1918 photo of the temporary cemetery where Wisconsin and Michigan soldiers killed in the battle were buried. The mayor was able to identify the exact location of the cemetery.
It was an emotional moment for Faltinson as he gazed over a wheat field. In a way, the men who had been laid to rest there were Faltinson's brothers in arms. Despite the passage of nine decades and different battle zones separated by thousands of miles, they and Faltinson had served honorably in the Red Arrow Division.
Faltinson pulled out a Red Arrow insignia he had worn on his uniform and buried it in the hallowed ground.
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery (Wikimedia Commons)March 21, 2015 ShareSave A reader tweeted a funny reply to my last article about American neglect of the First World War. He explained that modern viewers prefer the sequel to the original production: “Bigger explosions. Better villains.”
Bastogne, in fact, is a town only slightly less devoted to tourism than Niagara Falls, virtually all of it American. (The forlorn German cemetery near Bastogne, while well-tended, is poorly marked and evidently little visited.) At the handsome new war museum, I bought a Bastogne snow globe for my youngest daughter, featuring a little Sherman tank. The battlefields of the Argonne, on the other hand, upon which more Americans died in two months than died in all the Korean War, were tourist-free.
the Old North Church in which Paul Revere saw the lantern
the hall in which the Declaration of Independence was signed
and Franklin—all survive or have been painstakingly reconstructed
Their counterparts from the French Revolution have almost entirely vanished
The educational effort at Civil War battlefields overwhelms anything at any European field I’ve ever seen
(Although the soon-to-open visitor center at Waterloo looks almost Gettysburg-like in scale.)
But Americans are also good at forgetting. Antebellum sites that survived or were reconstructed after the Civil War are typically purged of their slave quarters. A project to mark the sites of every lynching across the American South exists only in cyberspace
Demolition and removal are every bit as essential as construction and preservation to the creation of a usable past
Nobody would vacation in Colonial Williamsburg as it really was
Civil War re-enactors omit the amputations
Americans fought as something less than the overwhelmingly dominant partner in a coalition effort—something they would not do again for the next century and counting
seems likely to resemble the world of 1900 more than that of 1950 or 1990: a world of multiple
mutually suspicious great powers grouped in uneasy coalitions defined much more by interest than ideology
the First World War era may offer more positive and negative guidance for the future than the era when the United States was more lopsidedly supreme
President Truman looks like a more successful coalition manager than President Wilson because of his superior skills—but also because he had an easier job
will likely feel that their challenges resemble Wilson’s more than Truman’s or Eisenhower’s or Reagan’s
Their allies will be less ideologically and culturally comfortable than Churchill’s Britain or the democracies of NATO
Their economic and strategic superiority will be less overwhelming
It was claimed that because America had never known a feudal aristocracy
the United States had evolved as a uniquely classless society
the United States was uniquely immune to socialism and communism
This achievement came at a price however: a society uniquely indifferent to high culture
uniquely characterized by mass production and mass marketing
These claims don’t seem very robust today. The United States is more, not less, class-bound than other developed countries. Socialism and communism are dead ideas everywhere in the developed world. Nor does American culture look so different from that of other rich countries as it did when Henry James lamented of the United States: “no literature
there's no other advanced country in which it’s as easy to start a new business
to reinvent one’s identity—or to massacre one’s neighbors
But this looks much more like a difference of degree than kind
And maybe those claims weren’t ever quite so robust as they seemed in the aftermath of World War II
and you see a country contending with convulsions very reminiscent of those that wracked the rest of the industrial world
the United States experienced the most violent race riots in its history; a wave of domestic terrorist attacks culminating in the deadliest bombing until Oklahoma City in 1995; and more and bigger strikes and labor unrest than ever before or since
The image of the United States as a nation untouched by revolutionary ferment elsewhere doesn’t survive a study of that period
The white gangs that burned black businesses and expelled black families from their homes in Tulsa in 1921 bear a family resemblance to the paramilitary groups of demobilized German soldiers—Freikorps as they called themselves—who killed hundreds of Poles and Latvians in battles for control of Baltic and Silesian cities
Even alcohol prohibition was a global idea
imposed for the duration of the war in Britain and Canada—and only gradually relaxed in Canada over the course of the 1920s
the concept is proving of dwindling utility in the 21st century
The American state can still mobilize and deploy resources vastly greater than those of any other state
do not face a different geostrategic map from the policymakers of other and adversary countries
and American society does not belong to a different category than do the societies of other developed societies
You might think that the last developed country to adopt universal health coverage would closely examine the systems developed elsewhere
You might think the designers of a new healthcare system for America would identify international best practices
while carefully assessing what might be applicable in American conditions and what would not
The debate over healthcare reform unfurled with an almost surreal indifference to the rest of the world
Ditto for the debate over financial reform after the crisis of 2008
or over policing of disadvantaged communities
In geostrategy too, the debate over America’s relative decline seems to pit those who would absolutely deny the reality of decline and those who welcome it
Yet the lesson of the decline of British power between 1870 and 1914 would seem to be that the post-American world will be a much more dangerous and violent place
as ambitious new contenders seek power in ever more aggressive ways
And the lesson of the 1914-1920 experience would seem to be that even a declining hegemony can still check its challengers
if it can find ways to convince new partners of the shared benefits of the old order
On the night in 1864 on which he learned of his re-election, President Lincoln addressed well-wishers from the steps of the White House. The partisan crowd probably did not expect a lecture on the philosophy of history, but that’s what they got.
What has occurred in this case must ever recur in similar cases. Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged.
Lincoln was not preaching the ignorant doctrine that history repeats itself. (As the great medieval historian Roberto Lopez used to caution his students, history never repeats itself; it only appears to do so to those who don’t pay attention to details.) He was urging the importance of emancipating one’s mind from the narrow bounds of time and place. Good advice then. Good advice now.
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He writes a food blog and shares an apartment with Lenny
As André seems to constantly teach his roommate how cooking should be appreciated
Lenny decides to question everything about his life
The relationship with André weighs on him and he wants to rebond with his friend and get André's tastebuds to match with his own
as well as representatives based in the U.S
The organisation currently brings together more than 1,000 French cinema and TV content professionals (producers
etc.) working together to promote French films and TV programmes among foreign audiences
Over 1000 mourners attended the funeral of Thierry Manoncourt of Chateau Figeac
The patriarch of Chateau Figeac in Saint Emilion died at the chateau which has been in his family since 1892
The funeral took place yesterday at the collegiate church in Saint Emilion
It was attended by neighbouring winemakers
and countless merchants and courtiers of the Bordeaux wine trade
Six remembrance books were placed by the doors for those present to record their memories
Manoncourt’s death marks the end of an era
Master of Wine and long-term resident of Bordeaux
described the Manoncourts as ‘one of the last true aristocratic families of France’ and said he would always remember ‘the precision and beauty of his speech
I have never heard the French language spoken so perfectly by any other person.’
Manoncourt’s son-in-law who has run Chateau Figeac for more than 20 years
‘He remained a figurehead for the chateau even after he stepped back from the operational side
and has been a steady guide for me over the years
It was his decision back in the 1940s and 50s to increase Cabernet Sauvignon in the vines
and these decisions defined Figeac as a wine of great elegance
Manoncourt’s list of accomplishments is long
He was one of the founder members of the Union des Grand Crus
and a key figure in the Jurade of Saint Emilion
He was also instrumental in the setting up of the Saint Emilion classification in the 1950s
and the chateau remains recognised as a Grand Cru Classe B
despite his long-term hope that it would be promoted to join Cheval Blanc and Ausone as Grand Cru Classe A
he was one of the first chateau owners in the Bordeaux region to open his estate to non-professionals
by offering free tastings to visitors from the 1980s
Manoncourt was unafraid to take controversial decisions for his wine – his research into the effects of terroir on the ageing potential of individual grape varieties led him to plant up to 70% of Figeac’s vineyard with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Figeac was the third estate in Bordeaux to introduce stainless steel tanks
Much has been made of the fact that American critic Robert Parker hasn’t scored his wines since 2006
despite declaring in the past his great respect for the wine
Amongst all the speculation as to why this should be
some suggest that Manoncourt simply didn’t send his wines to Parker for evaluation
he didn’t approve of all that,’ Salvi says – ‘all that’ meaning the annual brouhaha around the release of Parker’s 100-point scores
leading the tribute on behalf of the Jurade
to rebuild the vineyard of Figeac as well as the Saint Emilion Jurade
He believed its role was not simply a brotherhood
but an association to defend the interests of working winemakers
and to promote the wines of Saint Emilion across the world’
Mathieu Cuvelier at Clos Fourtet told decanter.com he considered Manoncourt one of the great historical figures of the region
‘What I will remember the most is his incredible zest for life
but he walked out for miles in the vines every Sunday
but he also liked to also keep an eye on what was happening with his friends and neighbours.’
Chateau Figeac is currently managed by his daughter Laure along with her husband Eric d’Aramon
Manoncourt is buried in the cemetery of Saint Emilion
Introduced into service in 2004, line P of the SNCF transilien network comprises 36 stations in 45 communes on a 252km route. From Paris-Est station, in the capital's 10th arrondissement, it runs to theeast of the Ile-de-France region, crossing the Seine-et-Marne département and extending beyond into the Hauts-de-France region
the largest in the region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Are you about to take this line of the transilien network and would like to know the traffic situation
Here you'll find real-time information on current and future disruptions on line P of the SNCF transilien network
cancelled trains- here's what you need to know to avoid being caught off guard
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a vintage train will take you on an exceptional journey through eastern France
While the weather still permits, how about a little enchanted escapade in eastern France
it’s a real leap back in time that’s in store for you
thanks to the Amicale des Agents de Paris Saint-Lazare
board direction Reims in a genuine period train
and enjoy a trip quite out of the ordinary
Remember, last summer, the Amicale des Agents de Paris Saint-Lazare gave us the opportunity to go to the beach thanks to a vintage locomotive
And on the strength of the success of this operation
the association is doing it again this autumn
with another idyllic and deliciously retro escapade
we’ve got a date with the Train des Bulles
the old-fashioned means of transport that will take you around the Champagne region in a frame from the 50s
The opportunity to treat yourself to a great adventure as well as a shot of nostalgia
Thanks to the association’s preservation work
you’ll be able to board a locomotive from 1965
A truly nostalgic journey that will take you east
Please note that a one-way ticket costs 40 euros for a round trip
and 100 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children)
and that prices are degressive if you stop before the final stop
all profits will be used to support the association
Train des Bulles – Departure October 12, 2024 at 9:26 am from Gare de l’Est – Ticketing here
is still at the head of St-Emilion premier grand cru classé Château Figeac
Reaching the age of 90 does not occur to many of us
and the few that make it are usually slipper-bound
who celebrated this milestone in September 2007
still prowls the chais of his beloved Château Figeac
when not travelling the world with his sparkling wife
impeccably mannered and twinkling with anecdotes
Manoncourt nevertheless has firm views and huge experience
with an acute mind that is technically trained and rigorous in its respect for fact
a loyal friend and a great French patriot (in spite of a British greatgrandmother called Elizabeth Drake)
When not driving forward his vision for Figeac
he is playing bridge or tending his garden
There was no certainty in Manoncourt’s youth that he would one day run the family château
a glittering property under the old regime that was split up in the 19th century
spawning other growths such as Cheval Blanc
Its position is pivotal to the appellation
thee young Manoncourt was a prisoner of war in Germany when his grandmother died
It was unclear whether his uncle or his mother would inherit
He returned to France to make his first vintage in 1943 and then went to Paris to study at the INA (Institut National Agronomique)
his mother gained responsibility for the estate
continued to contribute much to St-Emilion
constructing the cooperative to help those less favoured with great terroir
especially growers struggling to make a living down on the flat plain
Thierry Manoncourt’s uninterrupted era at Figeac began with the landmark vintage of 1947
he was one of very few agricultural engineers to be in control of a great vineyard
Manoncourt now reflects that this solid technical foundation was always at the heart of everything he did and it led to innovations that were revolutionary for the epoch
His use of stainless steel cuves must have come as a big surprise in St-Emilion – Figeac was only the third property to install them after Haut-Brion and Latour
with clients and journalists traipsing through the cellars of châteaux
to recall that the chais of yore were closed to outsiders – those who worked there preferred mystery behind thick wooden doors
Manoncourt put in new glass doors to his cellars
first reading about malolactic fermentation in a Swiss book
and recalls that both Peynaud and Ribereau-Gayon came to Figeac to receive instruction
He even managed to crack the little problem of rot in 1968 – only Figeac obtained the 1er grand cru classement in this blighted year
10ha (hectares) of Figeac’s vineyards were lying fallow
The disastrous frost of 1956 caused Figeac to lose 100,000 vines
so in 1957 and 1958 50% of the vineyard was replanted
40ha out of 53 are under vine and the vineyard is in one parcel around the château
The estate lies halfway between St-Emilion and Libourne on three gravel ridges
giving rise to Thierry Manoncourt’s equally atypical choice of grape varieties
with its high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon
The vineyard composition now is 35% Cabernet Sauvignon
The harvest starts later here than at other properties in the area
sometimes with a difference of as much as 15 days
since the Cabernet Sauvignon needs more time to reach ripeness
Thierry Manoncourt remains president at Figeac and his son-in-law
is executive director – d’Aramon is married to Laure
the oldest of Manoncourt’s four daughters and the couple will celebrate their 20 years together at Figeac this April
a comparative rarity now to find the owning family in permanent residence in a top château in Bordeaux
and it does confer a touch of ‘soul’ to a property
edged Figeac towards producing a wine that is a little more round and welcoming in extreme youth
while keeping the Cabernet character of the cru
has always been a talking point around Figeac
inevitably posing the question that if the Cabernet Sauvignon were decreased
and the Merlot and Cabernet Franc increased
would the result give a more voluptuous note in the wine
A six-month-old cask sample of Figeac can appear more lean than its illustrious cousin
filling out and becoming stupendously rich in top vintages
always magnifying its strong flavour and myriad dimensions
This was shown to dramatic effect at a pre-Christmas lunch chez Taillevent in Paris
organised by renowned collector Bipin Desai for a small group of international ‘friends of Figeac’
with Thierry and Marie-France Manoncourt as guests of honour
since they had provided all the wines direct from the château
All the corks were original and if ever one needed proof that this is ideal practice
Figeac’s wine is the absolute reverse of uniformity – it interprets the vintages in its own inimitable
interprets its essence with the élan and flair of his race
Website: www.chateau-figeac.com
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Aisne is an ideal weekend getaway spot where you can experience centuries of history
eat tasty food and sip Champagne away from the maddening crowds
Discover how to turn this French fantasy into a reality
Aisne wasn’t on our radar but it should have been
Its Northern France location in the Hauts-de-France region is the stuff of fables
Jean de La Fontaine was born in Château-Thierry in 1621 and wrote many of his beloved fables in Aisne
If you’re not familiar with La Fontaine’s fables
think of Aesop’s fables but written with an eye toward reason – something highly en vogue during the French enlightenment
A great way to learn about the fabulist is to read his fables
the better approach is to visit his home town
enlightenment landmarks and more recent World War I history
is less than 100 kilometers (approximately 60 miles) from Paris but feels like a different world
Aisne is located in Vallée de la Marne – one of the five districts in France’s famed Champagne wine region
It’s also located on a Champagne wine route that spans three French departments
Champagne production and geography are highly regulated
Approximately 500 winegrowers in Aisne meet strict standards and collectively produce 10% of France’s (and the world’s) Champagne bubbly
we learned about the production process at two different Champagne houses where we toured cellars and tasted recent vintages
it’s not just possible to to learn about Champagne in Aisne
It’s also possible to drink Champagne in Aisne
you can explore Aisne’s quaint capital
a fortified medieval city with a 12th century gothic cathedral and a 21st century craft brewery
While it would be easy to confuse Laon with Lyon based on the similarity of the two names
these notable French cities stand on their own merits
The best way to describe the cuisine we ate in Aisne is French comfort food
while there wasn’t one dish that stood out as a ‘must eat dish’ during our visit
we thoroughly enjoyed the experience of eating local food prepared by local cooks at local restaurants
some of our best food finds weren’t at restaurants
various beverages and preserved items at local shops and markets
A highlight was the saucisson. We even brought one of Ferme Angus à Trélon‘s award-winning links home with us to enjoy later
Other Aisne food highlights were less familiar but no less satisfying. We especially liked three of them starting with Bêtises de Cambrai, boiled candies manufactured by Confiserie Despinoy in Cambrai
While we bought a bag of candy to enjoy later
we didn’t wait to taste a cheesy Tarte au Maroilles and delectable ‘Pavé’ chocolates while exploring Laon
French luminaries beyond Jean de la Fontaine have lived in Aisne over the centuries – Alexandre Dumas
Henri Matisse and Jean Racine to name a few
whether you’re a Champagne drinker or a history buff
we’re happy to bring Aisne to your attention now
Assuming that you fit into one or both of these categories
these are some of the best things to do in Aisne:
There’s nothing like driving through Aisne’s rolling hillsides with its ancient stone villages and vineyards where grapes grow with abandon on rocky soil
line the countryside on vines as far as the eyes can see
These vines aren’t everywhere in Aisne
they’re just located in the department’s southernmost corner just south of Château-Thierry
This is where Aisne’s Champagne route commences before winding through numerous villages
Stopping at a Champagne house in one of these villages is a must
We stopped at Champagne Météyer in the village called Trelou-sur-Marne
Its customers include Emmanuel Macron as well as regular folks in France and beyond
rotating art exhibition and cellar during our visit
the highlight was tasting Météyer’s Champagne
It didn’t hurt that we drove through the vineyard in Anna Météyer’s vintage Citroën and did our tasting amid grape vines and apple trees
we tasted a fruity Cuvée that was produced with a blend of the region’s three grape varietals and poured from a cobalt blue bottle
As we sipped the golden bubbly while gazing at dreamy rolling hills
Anna shared that the “best Champagne is the one you like.”
A tour at Champagne Pannier is a fully immersive experience that starts in a 12th-century underground stone cellar that’s way older than the Champagne house
but it’s also big – 2.5 kilometers long and 30 meters wide
Pannier may be familiar if you live in USA
Japan or Scandinavia since the producer exports 60% of its Champagne
you’ll want to tour Aisne’s largest Champagne house during your visit
Pro TipPannier’s tours currently range in price from 15€ to 27€ and are presented in both English and French every day of the week except Sunday
Louis-Eugène Pannier first produced Champagne in Dizy in 1899 before moving to Château-Thierry in 1937
While he likely made the move to take advantage of the cellar’s vast space and prime location
the move came with a surprise bonus – a medieval stone carving of an archer
That archer makes an appearance during the tour as well as on Pannier Champagne bottles
much remains the same at Pannier including the three grapes used to make Champagne
Pannier’s cellar is 10°c / 50°f regardless of the weather or time of year
You’ll want to stay to the end of your Pannier tour since that’s when the tasting occurs
we tasted Champagne that had aged for four years and featured a blend of Chardonnay (40%)
Pinot Meunier (30%) and Pinot Noir (30%) grapes
first observing the Champagne’s golden color and watching tiny bubbles rise from the bottom of flutes to the top
If you’ve tasted Champagne at the source
add this experience to your French bucket list
the medieval town decorates its streets with balloons and lampshades as well as the occasional umbrella
It also has more than 80 historic monuments
none more impressive than the majestic Notre-Dame de Laon which dates back to the 12th century
Laon’s gothic cathedral is perched atop the city as if on a royal throne and welcomes all who walk through its massive entrance
Constructed with limestone and decorated with ornate statures
it rivals gothic cathedrals in larger cities like Rouen
it may have inspired the design of one or all of those cities’ more famous structures
A wander through Laon reveals other centuries-old treasures including an ancient Templars’ chapel
It also reveals a food scene that befits this former capital of France
You won’t have to look hard to find artisan food shops selling bread
The challenge is choosing which local foods to sample and where
Stopping in Amandine Confiserie to try Pavés de Laon is an absolute must
While the candy shop has been open since 1977
its Pavés were designed in 2003 to resemble the city’s cobblestone streets
The square candies are filled with Gianduja chocolate and coated with grey meringue
Other recommended stops include Fromagerie des Ramparts for excellent cheese, meats and wine as well as BMC Brewery (see below) for craft beer
Pro TipContinue your Aisne history lesson in Soissons
France’s first capital and the home of the Soissons Bean
That regional white bean is used in a number of dishes including a northern version of cassoulet
Visiting Château-Thierry is a must whether your focus is Champagne or history
Aisne’s fourth largest city is well-positioned for exploring both the Champagne route and World War I sites
It’s also a delightful town to explore in its own right
Dating back to medieval times and situated on France’s longest river (the Marne)
Château-Thierry has 15,000 residents
It’s also a city with two major claims to historic fame
Château-Thierry greatest claim to fame is being the home of Jean de La Fontaine
La Fontaine periodically lived in the city before dying in Paris in 1695
along with French luminaries that include Marcel Marceau
La Fontaine’s presence remains strong in Château-Thierry three centuries after his death. The city has a statue of its most prominent citizen and his former home now houses the Musée Jean de La Fontaine
a dedicated museum that’s under renovation until 2024
Pro TipYou can buy chocolate bars decorated with Jean de La Fontaine’s characters at Pâtissier Chocolatier Sylvain Chevillotte
Crafted by master chocolate maker Sylvain Chevillote
these chocolate creations are as fun to eat as they are to view
History buffs may be aware that Joan of Arc helped liberate Château-Thierry in 1429
they’re more likely focused on the two Battles of Château-Thierry – one during the Napoleonic Wars and one during WWI
These battles are Château-Thierry’s other historic claim to fame
Those buffs don’t have to look hard to find remnants of the Great War in Château-Thierry
was the only structure left standing after its street was leveled
Then there’s the impressive Château-Thierry American Monument on top of Hill 204 which honors American troops who died while fighting with the allies
World War I occurred over a century ago but its legacy lingers in Aisne
We had this realization during our first morning in Château-Thierry when we learned that a recently discovered unknown American soldier would be buried during a special ceremony that same day
How is it that we never heard about the Familistère de Guise before our weekend in Aisne
this ‘social palace’ was home to one of the world’s greatest and longest social experiments of all time
The Familistère de Guise wasn’t Jean-Baptiste Godin’s first or most famous invention
an iconic flat top cast iron stove that’s now produced by Cheminees Philippe
But it’s the Familistère that justifies a special trip to Guise for those who want to view a real-life version of Utopia
Godin founded the Familistère in 1859 as a fully developed community where his employees could live in an egalitarian way
Each employee was assigned an apartment based on the size of his or her family as opposed to his or her position within the company
The employee residents shared communal facilities that included a laundromat
the Familistère housed more than 1,200 people with many living in its central pavilion
The workers who lived here had a sense of community while their children had the opportunity to attend school (not a given in the 19th century)
if you’re wondering if Godin lived here with his family
his assigned living quarter was substantially larger than those of his employees
Godin’s larger quarters may have revealed the imperfections with his social living experiment
the complex introduced concepts like child labor rules and public education that are now the standard
Fun FactAlthough the Familistère’s Cooperative Association of Capital and Labor dissolved in 1968
people continue to live at the Familistère to this day
talking to Aisne locals is one of the best ways to connect with the region
Unless you’re lucky enough to have a friend or family member in the area
we recommend talking with friendly vendors you meet at local shops and restaurants
these encounters were as memorable as the famous sites that we visited
they typically ended with food tips and occasionally samples
Brasserie de la Montagne Couronnée (i.e. BMC) is a modern craft brewery located in the shadow of the centuries-old Notre-Dame de Laon
Stéphane Lobois opened the brewery after earning a craft brewing diploma in 2020
His beers reflect the global influences he encountered while working for the International Medical Corps before returning home to France
Lobois prefers American-style IPAs over Belgian triples
he only started brewing triples due to to popular demand
Considering how much we love Belgian triples
But these aren’t the only brews brewed at BMC
Christmas beer and a seasonal cassis beer were also on the menu
We sampled a few different beers including the La Grimpette (a blonde beer)
(a triple) and the Dame Eve (a seasonal cassis beer)
Brewed with local fruit and without added sugar
You won’t find BMC beer outside of France
You won’t even find the beer in most French cities
This progressive craft brewery minimizes its carbon footprint by sourcing ingredients locally and exclusively sells its excellent beers locally
Not everybody can live in a castle. However, we can all pretend for an hour or two while visiting the Château de Condé (i.e
Be warned that you may be overwhelmed by the château’s abundance of decorative art
some featuring frescoes painted by Jean-Antoine Watteau and other French artists
Currently a private estate owned by Alain Pasté de Rochefort
the Château de Condé has a rich regal history involving lords
the historic monument is the ‘castle of the princes of Condé
Fans of Jean de La Fontaine will be pleased to see paintings honoring his fables
Others will appreciate the castle’s surprise
We’d tell you what it is but then it would no longer be a surprise
La Ferté Milon is a charming little town with more than one badge of honor
Jean Racine Museum spent his childhood here and Jean de La Fontaine got married here
Fun FactJean de La Fontaine didn’t just marry anybody in La Ferté Milon
It’s also the home of one of Aisne’s most unique castle structures
La Ferté-Milon’s castle was built in the 14th century for the Duke of Orleans
Never fully completed after the Duke was assassinated in 1407
the castle was later dismantled at the command of Henri IV
All that’s left of the castle today is its decaying facade
It’s still interesting to visit for those who like history or architecture as well as those who just enjoy taking a scenic walk
We mentioned that we ate well in Aisne but we neglected to mention that the best things we ate were desserts
Some of these desserts involved chocolate and others involved puff pastry
The best ones were garnished with fresh fruit
Now that we’ve piqued your interest about spending a weekend in Aisne
it’s time to discover how to get there as well as where to stay
We recommend driving directly to Château-Thierry which is approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Paris and approximately 60 kilometers (40 miles) from Reims
Another option is to take a train to either Château-Thierry or Laon
These trains lines are both comfortable and cost-effective
you’ll need to sort out renting a car once you arrive if you want to properly explore Aisne’s best attractions
We stayed at the following two hotels during our weekend in Aisne:
you can shop at an outdoor market in Aisne during your visit
Château-Thierry has one every Tuesday and Friday while Laon’s market days are Thursday and Saturday
Don’t fret if you miss these outdoor markets. Aisne has covered markets where you can shop for local products. However, the best food shopping may be at a specialty market like Les Copains d’Thiérache in Guise
Le Copains d’Thiérache offers one-stop shopping for those seeking artisan food products in a boutique setting
You can buy fresh produce to enjoy on the spot as well as a variety of foods that double as edible souvenirs
jams and pies as well as locally crafted beer and cider
We bought a few these items and wish we’d bought more
Although dining at restaurants may not be your primary goal in Aisne
you’ll still want to eat well during your visit
consider eating at one or more of the following restaurants during your visit:
Château-Thierry is less than 60 kilometers from Paris
Laon is less than 150 kilometers from Paris and Soissons is less than 110 kilometers from Paris
Aisne biggest claims to fames include its Champagne route and its role in World War I
Aisne is also famous for being the birthplace of the beloved fabulist Jean de La Fontaine
Champagne Pannier is Aisne’s largest and most prominent Champagne house
Article UpdatesWe update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.SponsorshipWe thank L’Agence Aisne Tourisme for sponsoring our visit to Aisne
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