| If you question
Varrain’s residents on their memories of the Americain camp, they will
answer you with enthusiasm,: “Chewing-gum and candies”, because the
soldiers of US Army stationed in Varrains between 1952 and 1967 seemed
generous with candy. Many children discovered chewing-gum at this time.
“They would throw us heaps and heaps when they passed by truck”,
said Camille Bourdoux, today first assistant of the town hall of
Varrains.
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Their discoveries
“They certainly did not want to appear like invaders,
they were nice to us”, thinks
Camille. At this time, one of his/her friends, Jean, from childhood
enters the town hall of Varrains. The chance meeting continues with the
memories of that time. Jean also remembers with enthusiasm that every
year they organized open doors for the children of the community. “It
was there that I saw my first film. It was an animated cartoon of Mickey
Mouse," Papotant speaks joyously with Camille. The two accomplices
laugh together. “On the other- hand, we could not go bowling because
they did not have shoes with our size. Nice, but not insane, these
Americans”.
Each one has
memories
All of Jean’s memories were from when he was a little
more than 12 years. When he was 16 years, he
preferred to observe the famous Anglo-Saxon rule, “business is
business”. I looked around and then,
inevitably, I participated in small resales which were practised,
especially of cigarettes. The trick was to know a soldier in the camp. |
They were not large transactions, just a cigarette now and then.
The cave of Ali
Baba
The material of the Signal Depot was stored in the caves near Varrains,
in Saumoussay; batteries, radios, drugs. “It was interesting to go in
the caves at night, everything was packed under plastic,” tells Jean.
The cellars which contained dangerous or fragile objects were kept under
guard but the remainder was stored in the black of the cellars. For a
mushrooms and wine area what could be more natural?
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