Vire - 9th June

Vire was liberated in early August 1944 and the town welcomed it's liberators - the 116th regiment in true Virois style.
M. Cousin, Vire's deputy mayor ( and a govt cabinet minister) whose father was a very active resistant and helped the Americans, presided over the ceremony. In his speech he said
"Since I was a child I heard stories from my father of you men and always you were heros to him and to me - we all know you are heros."
Our veterans were feted by the townspeople and each was presented with a special medal by local schoolchildren who were honoured to be chosed.
As the ceremony concluded, a bugler played the last post form Vire's famous clocktower (one of few buidings to survive the terrible destruction) and thousands of red white and blue balloons were released.