A little bit of history

A little bit of history. After World War I, the French built the Maginot line to prevent another attack by Germany.

The line consisted of a series of bunkers, and pill boxes of cement, etc. It extended from Switzerland, up to Belgium along the German border. They thought it was impregnable.

However, what the Germans could not accomplish in four years in World War I that had cost 2 million lives, they simply went around the Maginot line on the north end and, in just 38 days of battle, Hitler had conquered France.

France and Germany then made an armistice, which the Germans occupied the north half of France and the French occupied the south half called the free zone. It was under General Petain, hero from World War I. The headquarters was in Vichy, France and thus called the Vichy government.

In the meantime, the French had lost 92,000 killed and 200,000 wounded and 1.5 million soon-to-become prisoners of war. Although the French were supposedly free in the south half of France, it was basically still controlled by the Nazis who rounded up the Jews, and also the French and English spies of whom they put to death.

Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the 1st Infantry Division, and is a business owner in Priest River.