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Orleans again thanks local veterans

BY BECCY TANNER

The Wichita Eagle

The three Wichita-area men have different memories of that day more than six decades ago.

This is what they say of Aug. 16, 1944:

"I didn't do anything. I was driving a truck for the Army and hauling supplies," said Al Brazill, now 88 and living in Wichita.

"I really hadn't caught up with the unit yet. I was a Johnny-come-lately kind of guy," said Jim Edwards, now 82 and living in Mulvane. "I was just a guy carrying a rifle and ammunition. Everybody had a job and that was mine."

"It was hot and there was a lot of destruction around us. We were very fortunate if we were able to stay in a beat-up house during the nights. Usually though, we'd be in the foxholes unless we were making an advancement," said Bill Phares, now 86 and living in Wichita.

To the people of Orleans, France, these men are heroes.

The town, now a sister city with Wichita, celebrates two liberations on May 8 -- the first when Joan of Arc led the French Army against the English in 1429, and the second when soldiers from Wichita serving in the 134th, 135th and 137th Infantry brought freedom to the community on Aug. 16, 1944. The troops were part of the Allied invasion of Europe.

At noon today, Wichita Area Sister Cities will hold its annual commemoration of the double liberation of Orleans in front of the public library on Main Street.

Attending the celebration will be the three World War II veterans, along with delegations from Wichita's other sister cities in Mexico and China.

"We do the ceremony downtown where our statue of Joan of Arc is," said Brigitte Roussel, former chairwoman of the France Committee for Sister Cities. "We do it on the Friday closest to May 8, so we can join in with the River Festival activities."

The noon celebration will also feature a carillon concert by organist Robert Town from Wichita State University, the East High School J-ROTC students and a posting of the French and American flags. There will be readings of bilingual commemorative pieces written by Kaye Miller's students from Heights High School and by Chris Foster's students from Global School of Wichita.

The Sister City delegations are also scheduled to participate in the Wichita Area Sister Cities float in the Sundown parade tonight.

Reach Beccy Tanner at 316-268-6336 or btanner@wichitaeagle.com.