Tunisia -- American World War II Cemetery of North Africa

Our group visited the North African American Cemetery to pay homage to those who fought and died in this region during World War II. The cemetery is small but resembling the design of the Normandy cemetery in France.

The cemetery covers 27 acres with 2,840 military Dead of the USA. Most of them died in the landings in and during the occupation of Morocco and Algeria, as well as subsequent fighting the ended with the liberation of Tunisia and the capitulation of all Enemy Forces in North Africa. Included in the cemetery are 234 headstones for the"Unknowns".

The Wall of Honor (left) lists the names of Americans who died in North Africa. Also inscribed are the names of 3,724 Americans who gave their lives in the service of their country but whose remains were never recovered or identified as well as those who were buried at sea. Most of the Americans who died during the war were sent home for burial. A tree-lined walkway (right) leads visitors to the grave sites.

 

 

Second Lieutenant James McCullin of Missouri and First Lieutenant Sherman White of Mississippi were the first American casualties of the North African campaign on July 2, 1943. They were combat pilots with the Tuskegee Airmen who were shot down by enemy fighters over Sicily. No crash sites were found. They were the first Americans killed in action in North Africa.

Lady Be Good was a B-24D Liberator bomber that disappeared without a trace on its first combat mission during the North African campaign. The plane, which was from 376th Bomb Group of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), was believed to have been lost—with its nine-man crew—in the Mediterranean Sea while returning to its base in Libya following a bombing raid on Naples on April 4, 1943. However, the wreck was accidentally discovered 440 miles inland in the Libyan Desert by an oil exploration team from British Petroleum on November 9, 1958. A ground party in March 1959 identified the aircraft as a B-24D.

Investigations concluded that the first-time crew failed to realize they had overflown their air base in a sandstorm. After continuing to fly south into the desert for many hours, the crew bailed out when the plane's fuel was exhausted. The survivors then died in the desert trying to walk to safety. All but one of the crew's remains were recovered between February and August 1960. 

Private Nicolas Minue was a Ukranian American who fought in World War I. He enlisted in the American Army infantry to fight in World War II. While fighting German Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps, he single-handedly assaulted and destroyed several enemy positions with fixed bayonet while under fire near Medjez El Bab, Tunisia. He died on April 28, 1943. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that day. He is the only Medal of Honor recipient in the cemetery.

Captain Foy Draper of California was an American track and field athlete who won a gold medal in 4×100 m relay at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. He served as a pilot on a twin-engine attack bomber in Tunisia. On January 4, 1943, Draper took off to take part in the battle of Kassarine Pass but he and his two crewmen never returned. His death date is usually given as February 1, 1943.

Celia Goldberg of New York was one of the few women who died in North Africa and who is buried here. A member of the Women's Army Corps (WAC), she died of cystic degeneration, right adrenal and acute hemorrhage left adrenal. She was on the USAT Santa Rosa enroute to Algeria at 5:45 a.m. on August 29, 1943. 

When Hilary Clinton was First Lady, Senator of New York, and Secretary of State, she visited Celia's grave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anas, our guide, bought a bouquet of flowers for us to place on the chapel's altar in memory of those who lost their lives in North Africa. The group posed at the altar and Jack (right), a Vietnam veteran, presented the bouquet.

These flags represent the American Armed Services that lost soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. They are displayed in the chapel.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let Your perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

Amen.

 Resources

Lady Be Good -- https://duckduckgo.com/q=lady+be+good+in+north+africa+war&t=newext&atb=v291-1

 

Tunisia -- Sidi Bou Saïd

 

 Sidi Bou Saïd is a town in northern Tunisia located about 20 km from Tunis and 4 km from Carthage. It is a tourist town that features souvenir shops, restaurants, and hotels. It is also near the shipping docks of Tunis. Above is a typical street with cobblestone streets and whitewashed buildings with blue windows and doors. 

Although Sidi Bou Saïd has been around at least since the 12th century, it is quite modern.

The Carthage Palace juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. It is the official residence and seat of the President of Tunisia, which is next to the current city of Carthage and the archaeological site of the ancient city. Behind it is the industrial area that features international shipping docks.

 

 

Sidi Bou Saïd was our last stop for souvenirs, and the streets were loaded with them. They surely add much color and activity to the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

Sidi Bou Saïd is known as a town for artists. Many Tunisian writers and painters lived or visited here. French philosopher Michel Foucault lived here for a number of years while teaching at the University of Tunis. French author Andre Gide also had a house in the town. French singer Patrick Bruel sang about Sidi Bou Said in his song Au Café des Délices pictured here.

 

 

 

 

 Surrounding Sidi Bou Saïd are mountains and the ever-present olive trees. 

 

We stayed at this fancy hotel, Dar Sid, our last two nights in Tunisia.

The hotel was a rich man's villa at one time. It sits on top of a hill and winds through flat cobblestone streets. It's beautiful and spacious and every room is different. 

I think about my good fortune in being here in Tunisia over these past two weeks and thank God and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for putting me on this journey of travel throughout the world.

 My room is below.

 

 

Tunisia -- Hammamet

Hammamet is an historical city on the Mediterranean Sea that goes back to the 2nd century colonizing Romans and the 8th century Arabs when they swept across North Africa. The Arabs controlled this area until the Turks arrived in 1534 and stayed for the next 300 years except when the Spanish ruled for 60 years starting in 1601. 

During World War II, Hammamet became one of the headquarters of the Nazi general Erwin Rommel. Former Italian prime minister Bettino Craxi moved to Hammamet in 1994 as a fugitive. He died and was buried here in 2000.

The reasons why Hammamet has long been a popular place are the thermal baths, the fresh seaside air, and the fertile land. I can attest to the fresh air. It seems to cleanse the soul especially in the moderate January sunshine! The beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean Sea are accessible to all although there are many private beaches as well.  

Today, Hammamet is a popular tourist town with hotels, discos, lounges, alcohol, night life, and a theatre (built in the 1950s) all that don't seem to belong in an Arab country. In short, Hammamet is known as a "party town" to the point that other Tunisians don't believe people really live here. In fact, over 100,000 people reside here, but the summertime tourists can double, triple, and even quadruple the population. Tunisia is one of the most progressive Arab countries in the world, and Hammamet attracts tourists--especially jet setters.

Migrants from the southern region of the country have come here to find employment. So suburbs are being built out from the city center even though the central city is a vibrant and bustling place. Many Italians also retire here and live a good and inexpensive life.  

Boats are mostly given female names. (See boat names on the right.) In general, female children are highly prized in Tunisia.

Life in the medina

During the 13th century, walls like this one were built around the town and in the 15th century came the medina. As with other medinas, they are comprised of homes, souks (market shops), a Mosque, and a kasbah (military fort). Each medina in each city is different. Hammamet's medina streets are narrow, more like alleyways. The buildings are whitewashed mostly with a brilliant sky blue. 

 Shopkeepers keep an eye on passersby as potential customers. Then they almost trap you and aggressively start the bargaining process by pushing their wares on you if you give them even the slightest interest. It's really too intimidating for me. I don't like to bargain, and I limit my buying. But this was the way it was in all the cities we visited in Tunisia. I had a brief encounter with a seller that wasn't at all pleasant.

Hammamet is known for its jasmine and there's plenty of it for sale in the souks as flowers and as lotion. A very aggressive shopkeeper tried to sell me a tube of it along with the two small ceramic bowls that I wanted for 50 dinars (equivalent to $16.66). He gave me a sample of the lotion to further lure me in my purchases, but I turned him down. All I wanted were the two bowls, so I took my money back from his hand. Then he agreed to sell the bowls for 20 dinars ($6.66). He even looked in my wallet to tell me that I had 20 dinars sitting there!

The trick to bargaining is for both parties, the seller and the buyer, to feel good at the end of the transaction. In this little encounter, neither of us was happy, and the seller said so under his breath, which I ignored. I had all I could do to get away.

In another of my encounters I wanted one copper plate (the size of a saucer). The seller offered to put my name on it in Arabic. I agreed. I asked him the price and he didn't bargain; he said it was 5 dinars ($1.66). I gave him a 20-dinar bill, and he gave me back 10 dinars. I asked for the other 5 dinars, and he wouldn't give it to me. Instead, he held out a 10 dinar note saying that is what I gave him. So the lesson I learned in the souks (a $1.66 lesson) is to hold my money until the seller is ready to make the transaction.

 Tons of cats patrol the neighborhood for rodents when they are not lounging in the sun or begging for food from passersby. (One of the women in our group spent a lot of time feeding the cats on the streets from the scraps of our meals. She was like St. Francis of Assisi taking care of them!)

The great Mosque sits proudly in the Medina. Five times a day the people are called to prayer in a chant that has been recorded and projected from the single minaret or tower. This call to prayer makes cities and towns enchanting and exotic places.

A cool café. I looked for it after our formal tour but couldn't find it. Instead, I had coffee on the street with a group of friends.

Doors

Doors are fascinating in Tunisia. Here are my favorites in Hammamet. This one is my favorite style where it incorporates a garden. The one on the left below is the entrance to the women's hammam, a bathhouse where they scrap you down and heat you up for a skin treatment that is relaxing and lasts about a month. The one on the right is a residence. The left knocker at the top of the door is for women and the one on the right is for men. They emit different sounds so those inside have an idea of who to expect. Sometimes there is a knocker on the lower right of the door that children use to announce their presence.

 

Tourism is king in Hammamet to the point that in the high season the streets are blocked with traffic jams of cars. 

This sculpture of the three mermaids welcomes visitors to this beautiful seaside town. I would come back here for a January vacation it is so appealing and generally inexpensive. 

Street scenes

Hammamet is a vibrant and busy city. It has lots of shops with lots of colors. Here are some street scenes taken from our tour bus as we passed them.

 

 

 

Taxis seem to be a favored mode of transportation in Tunisians towns. Here they are awaiting their next gig. They are yellow with a lit marker on the passenger's side. If it is green, the taxi is busy. If it is red, it's available for hire. 

 

I would return to Hammamet for a January vacation where the sun is out but the winter heat is not as intense as the summer heat. And, the tourists are minimal. Our guide said that there are many Airbnbs operating all year round. And, the town is about an hour away from Carthage and the Tunis-Carthage International Airport. A fast and comfortable coach service runs from the Tunis city bus station to Hammamet, so you must take a taxi from the airport to Tunis (about 30 dinars or $10) and catch the bus to Hammamet. Taxis are always available in town.

Resources

Hammamet -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammamet%2C_Tunisia

 Turks in Tunisia -- https://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_in_Tunisia