Grit

We have been attending the World War II Weekend for a decade and the magic still shines for Robby. I enjoy the experience but, if I were to be completely honest, looking at war machines is not among my favorite activities. However, spending time with Robby does top my list, so I focus more on the company than on the environment.  

 

In order to keep things exciting I have tiptoed into historical reenacting. This year, I decided to portray Virginia Hall. She has an amazing story and I was excited to share it.

 

Virginia was an American from Baltimore who ended up in Lyon, France during the occupation. Often referred to as a 'woman of no importance' because she was an amputee, she had a fierce spirit and more courage than I can fathom. She became entwined with the Resistance through her work with the State Department. 

 

She quickly excelled in her work with the Resistance, smuggling supplies and documents in her prosthesis and masterminding numerous sabotage and rescue missions. The forged documents that she transported within her prosthesis are credited with rescuing more than 150 families. She was also skilled at derailing trains and assuming identities. She became one of the most prolific spies, working with several cells and juggling multiple personas daily. 

 

Her exploits drew the attention of the Gestapo in Lyon, with the "Butcher of Lyon" vowing retribution when she was caught. (This dude was a hard-core sadist known for his horrific torture methods that he joyfully utilized against captured Resistance members.) 

 

With the Gestapo and Nazis on her trail, Virginia narrowly escaped to Spain near the war's end by walking for 50 days over the snow-capped Pyrenees on a 1930s era prosthesis. Talk about a hard core woman!

 

This woman lived during a time when individuals with disabilities were belittled and demeaned. She used these perceptions to her advantage and completely turned the tables on societal expectations. This woman had grit!