On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, we are joined by Bob Ricketts, a retired Carolinas dentist, and Francois Gauthron, a WWI and WWII historian and battlefield tour guide from France. Several years ago, Bob and his wife Nancy went to France to celebrate their 40th anniversary, and while they were enjoying all that France has to offer, they decided to book a private tour of the beach at Normandy. Francois came highly regarded and recommended in their research, and they thoroughly enjoyed their tour filled with stories of D-Day, military history, and the comradery they found in Francois. They have kept in touch over the past several years, and when Francois’ book tour brought him to the eastern US this fall, Bob and Nancy jumped at the opportunity to host him during his time in the Carolinas.
Francois began contemplating writing a book filled with all of his historical stories of WWI and WWII at the recommendation of another American who went on a battlefield tour with him a few years ago. Anita Bryan was a Mississippi school teacher who was close to retirement, and she mentioned to Francois that if he ever decided to write a book, she would love to help him through the process and be his editor. That project came to life after a lot of hard work on both of their parts, and they are proud of the final product (available on Amazon at the link below).
Francois has found that looking back at the battles that have shaped the world brings Americans and Europeans alike together on the common ground of gratefulness to our ancestors who fought for our freedom and mutual respect for the cooperation between our countries on so many occasions. There are so many things that make our countries and cultures different, but at the same time, we have so much in common and can share in the bonds that unite us.
Connect with Francois:
https://www.facebook.com/Francois-Gauthron-D-Day-Tours-727966447246233/
