Can anyone translate this letter. It was in with German medals and coins as well as correspondence that span over about 20 years. A note says " rough draft of _____. Words I can't read but then says " famous letter. Ok does it have anything to do with coins or medals and translation? I think it is French. Thanks for being patient with me.
Hmm alright, let's see: "RSM (probably abbreviation for "Regiment de Spahi Marocains" /Moroccan Spahi Regiment) - Dear Non-commissioned officers, First, please excuse me/us for not being able to express my feelings of appreciation and gratitude in your mother tongue; I/We have requested from the Seargent (not clear, Chamont?) to translate what my/our heart wishes to say. It is a great honour to have you, NCOs, in our midst and I/we are/am [proud?] that you have answered my/our amicable invitation. The ties of friendship and fraternity which reunite us today, on [English? strange? foreign? unclear] land are the result of great effort, which may only reinforce the great [charity? debt?] that I/we owe to our dear liberators of 1944. I/We have [seen? witnessed?] the [marvelous?] grandiose, beauty, discipline and the spirit of your [unclear, maybe your soldiers judging by the context]. Also, since my/our [default? the rest is unclear], I/we remember dearly the memories of the time you spent at [Meil Bront] In the name of the delegation, NOCs [unclear]...I/we address our many thanks to the RSM and in particular the officers of 54 [unclear] for the unforgettable reception offered to myself/us. I/We shall personally [unclear. tansmit and comment something to the NOcs]. I/We sincerely wish that you would maintain and preserve the spirtit of that day and hope to have the honour and pleasure of seeing you again numerous times, till we/I see you again]" I am not a native speaker, but I studied French for 10 years. I unfortunately could not read what was written on the sides of the letter; perhaps a native speaker could offer an even better translation. You may find more info on the RSM here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Spahi_Regiment
Wow...thank you so much. The officer was a high ranking military guy. The letters I have are to a girl he vowed to marry...she waited on him for I think seventeen years and seen him thru 3 wars. In 61 I think she figured out that he was already married. Her heart was broken. A short time later she discovered a marriage license that said SHE was married to him and that she was from Germany.... that woman came to be a ...no THE too analyst at NASA. This letter was supposedly after the battle of the bulge but would have to look back to be sure. There's so many letters and a lot of history in those letters . Some I haven't read yet. Thank you so much. I will check out that link.
That's a fascinating story! Thank you for sharing it You are most welcome and glad to have been of help. Maybe a native speaker would be able to offer a better translation, especially of the parts which were not clear to myself.
