The Foreign Service Journal, January 2009

buy it, but the watchmaker politely re- fused. The watch wasn’t especially valuable, but it was a memento re- lated to his father, and he wanted to keep it to show friends and interested customers. Each year, Yves went back to the shop to make an offer, but was refused. After he started planning the Hensleys’ visit, Yves had suddenly re- membered the watch. Richard Hens- ley wasn’t a pilot like the other victim that day; he was a technical sergeant and would have been wearing a watch like the one in the box. It all fit to- gether, and now there was no doubt: it was the watch worn by the father of his soon-to-be-arriving American visitors. He grabbed his keys and wallet and headed over to the next town, ready to say, pay or do anything to bring this precious relic back to its home. But after he breathlessly related his story and began pleading once more for a chance to buy the watch, the watchmaker simply slid it across the table and told him to take it, no charge. Its emotional value to him was far out- weighed by the emotional value it would have for its new owner, he ex- plained, asking only that Yves pass along his best wishes and thanks to Richard for his father’s sacrifice. A Part of Something Bigger So what was the ceremony at Ban- nelec like? It spanned time, national boundaries and language. The sight of the old French resistance fighters 52 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 The ceremony at Bannelec spanned time, national boundaries and language.