Some random thoughts...
Comparing 18th century French with modern French, their military now would be pretty danged tough if their ranks were filled with 225 year old soldiers!
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Years ago, the French were laughing at the US for getting involved in Vietnam, wondering how we expected to win using just force, when they (the French) couldn't do it using force
and brains!
To which my response is (just 3 little words) --
Dien Bien Phu.
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On a little more serious note, we honor the
58,000 Americans who died over there in 16 years (as is right and proper), but there aren't many (perhaps no) monuments in France to honor the
95,000 Frenchmen who died there in just 8 years!
