Friday, July 07, 1944
General Charles de Gaulle visited the United States for several days in July 1944, spending time in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Americans in both cities warmly welcomed him. While the focus of his trip was a meeting with President Franklin Roosevelt, and to strengthen agreements between the U.S. and France, the General also made several ceremonial stops at historic or patriotic sites, including Mount Vernon.
His visit was very brief, but he managed to lay a wreath at the Tomb, tour most of the grounds, pose for press photographs, and sign the Mount Vernon guestbook. This diplomatic trip to the U.S. occurred in the middle of an eventful summer, between the D-Day invasions in June and the Liberation of Paris in August.
