Podensac, France
Nort Johnson spoke to the group about his amazing ambassador trip to France and the town of Podensac. Faribault was invited in 2017 to the small town in celebration of the 100th year anniversary of Armistice Day. Troops from Faribault were one of the first groups from America that arrived in Podensac to help with war efforts.
A small group from Faribault traveled to France and was honored to help celebrate with the town of Podensac, include the Mayor and a descendant of one of regimental soldiers of WWI. They arrived to American and French flags lining the streets. The group traveled to see relics of the American station, including aqua ducts and railways with rails that still said USA on the sides. One of their days included a parade that the town thought that they would maybe have 90 people which actually saw over 500 in attendance. Wreaths were presented and laid on a monument celebrating the end of WWI by both the Faribault mayor and the mayor of Podensac, and letters that soldiers wrote at the frontlines and sent back to their families were read.
A proclamation was read at the Podensac city hall declaring the Faribault day and the Faribault delegation were honored to read the declaration from the city of Faribault declaring the Podensac day in Faribault.
They presented 5 American flag Woolen mill blankets which were significant because the American soldiers took blankets from the Woolen Mill to Europe in WWI.
A statement that stuck with Nort was one man’s words “I wouldn’t be a Frenchman if the Americans wouldn’t have come”