By William “Skip” Deegans
This past July 4, at a ceremony that has occurred annually for nearly 190 years, an American flag that flies at the tomb of the Marquis de Lafayette in Paris was lowered and replaced by a new American flag. Paying tribute to Lafayette for his contribution in the American Revolution are representatives of the U.S. Embassy and French government as well as representatives of the Daughters and Sons of The American Revolution, Society of the Cincinnati, and Society of American Friends of Lafayette. It is reported that the American flag at the tomb flew throughout the German occupation of Paris during World War II. The cemetery and adjacent convent were considered off limits to German soldiers. Ironically, the nuns in the convent helped Jews in an adjacent hospital to escape before being sent to concentration camps.
Many place names in the United States honor Lafayette (e.g., Lewisburg’s Lafayette Street and town of Fayetteville), and in 1919 LaFayette Motors was founded in Indianapolis and a cameo of LaFayette’s face was the company’s logo. The company produced a luxury car that was the first car with an electric clock. The company fell under the management of Charles Nash in 1921 and full ownership in 1924. Nash retired the Lafayette brand but reintroduced it in 1934 as a smaller, less expensive line. Later, the name was changed to Nash Lafayette 400 and that name continued through 1940.
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Sources: National Endowment For The Humanities, NPR, Indiana Transportation History. www.roarington.com