The mission “Liberté 250” highlights France’s crucial support for the American insurgents in their fight against the British crown, which has made France “the oldest ally of the United States” as Washington often reminds us.
“In the 18th century, France and the United States established a unique relationship […] that would be sealed in blood for freedom during the War of Independence, and for centuries to come,” stated General Pierre Gaudillère, commander of the Air Combat Aviation Brigade.
“The first American military aviators wore French uniforms,” he recalled, referring to American citizens who joined the Franco-American Lafayette Squadron as early as 1916, before the United States entered the war the following year.
“Today, despite current uncertainties about the reliability of the American ally, cooperation with the American forces is characterized by its high level and vitality,” according to General Gaudillère.
“The Belle Poule” returns to Cheasapeake
During this tour, the aircraft will fly over historical sites, such as Independence Hall where the Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, the battlefield of Yorktown, which marked the victory of the Americans and their French allies in 1781, and the Chesapeake Bay where the French fleet defeated the British navy.
“While the United States will host the World Cup, it is not forbidden to think that we will try to fly over the French team during a match,” added General Gaudillère without further detail.
The PAF will close its tour by participating in the naval and air parade taking place in New York on July 4. The French Navy sailboat “La Belle Poule,” which participated in the blockade of the Chesapeake Bay, will also take part.
