The call came sooner than later for Gibbs. The 4th had cleared the Cotentin Peninsula and help take Cherbourg on the 25th of June. It was the morning of 28th June, a British army jeep rolled into the camp.
"Looking for a Gunnery Sergeant by the name of Gibbs," the Major asked Ziva.
She eyed him suspiciously and pointed to a tent with the gun she was cleaning. Gibbs appeared through the flap.
"Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs?" he asked looking at this bohemian man in front of him.
"Sure am Major, but need to tidy myself up." Gibbs replied.
"No time Gunny, grab your gear, I'll brief you on the way. Our barber has a shaver, which I think you could do with. Your uniform?" the Major now enquired.
"In my kitbag, nice and neat. Working with the Resistance kinda makes you look local, blend in or you get shot." Gibbs smiled.
"heard of your run-in at the café."
"No run in Sir, the place needed taken out." Gibbs replied, "But where are headed for?"
"We are off to Paris. It needs liberated, the sooner the better… we can then advance to Berlin." The Major finished.
-oOo-
Gibbs saw action, on the 8th of July, to the west, US forces encounter stiff resistance on the road between Carentan and Peiriers but by the 10th they had broken through the left flank of the German Seventh Army. They had helped stem the German advances towards Avranches. It was becoming known that the Soviet Forces were advancing through Poland. It was on the 22nd of July that the Red Army captured the Majdanek, Concentration Camp on the outskirts of Lubin. At first conceived as a Labour Camp it became obvious of its real job. Some 59000 Polish Jews had died there. Gibbs' heart went out for Ziva. The Germans had hastily tried to set fire to the buildings but the gas chambers still stood. The Soviets went on that summer to find the killing fields of Belzec, Sobibor and Trelinka. It was ethnic cleansing.
The 4th arrived on the outskirts of Paris on the 18th of August. This was to be the Last Battle of the Campaign for Normandy.
"Gibbs, I have been waiting for you." He heard a voice whisper one night as he lay in his tent.
"Ziva?" he asked, as the shadowy figure appeared.
"But of course. You always thought I was resistance….I am, but the Armee Juive, yes the Zionist resistance, I work alongside. You have heard of us?"
"Sure, you organise escape routes across the Pyrenees. You also distributed millions of our dollars from the American Joint Distribution Committee to relief organisations within France, you and the Eclaireurs israélites de France have combined to form the Organisation Juive de Combat ."
"You are well informed, Gunny. Want to know of your comrades?" Ziva now asked.
"Nope , but you're going to tell me anyway. Tony still got his tank?" Gibbs smiled.
"Yes he loves it, McGee sends his regards." Ziva replied.
"Ziva, this isn't a social call is it? What do you really want?" Gibbs questioned.
"I asked your CO if we could borrow you. We need snipers. The FFI want revenge for the murder of 35 of their group on the 16th. Will you join us?" Ziva continued.
Gibbs agreed.
The Liberation of Paris
The morning of August 19th, saw the people of Paris rise up against the Germans. Columns of German tanks, and trucks towing trailers and cars loaded with troops and material, moved down the Champs Élysées. There was a rumour that the Allies were near.
The streets were deserted following the German retreat, but suddenly the first skirmishes between the French people and the German occupiers started. Some FFI members started to post propaganda posters on walls.
The 20th saw barricades erected and there began street to street, house to house, sniper attacks. The fighting reached its height on the 22nd, when some of the enemy tried to leave their posts.
At 06.30 on August 23rd, the Allies started their move on to the city. The Germans started their own resistance. A FFI stronghold was set alight. It was estimated that between 800 and 1,000 resistance fighters were killed during the battle for Paris, another 1,500 were wounded.
By the 23rd the French Forces of the Interior had received backup from the Free French Army of Liberation and from the US 4th Infantry. The Battle for Paris was almost over.
The following morning, saw crowds of Parisians welcome the 2nd French Division into their city. Most of the German resistance had escaped during the night, those left just accepted their fate.
General De Gaulle entered Paris on August 25th. He declared his intention to walk down the Champs Elysées and on to Notre Dame on the 26th.
On Saturday the 26th of August, De Gaulle walked down the Champs Elyees from the Arc De Triomphe. He was flanked by the Free French2nd Armored Division. One Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs sat on a jeep his eyes peeled for any signs of aggression. He looked towards one of the tanks, and there was his Corporal DiNozzo, standing tall in the turret of his tank. He saluted Gibbs, and carried on smoking his cigar.
As Gibbs smiled a young woman ran from the crowd with a garland, Gibbs immediate reaction was to shoot, but she placed it round his neck and kissed his cheek, "Merci," she said.
"Hey and you are?" he laughed.
"Jenny. Thank you for saving us." The woman replied.
"No problem Jenny," as Gibbs jumped from the jeep, and placing his arm round the waist of the stranger, kissed her hard on the lips, "Know of anywhere I can get a decent coffee?"
"Oui." As she took his hand and lead him to one of the street cafes.
Gibbs smiled, one thing worried him. McGee and Ziva, had they survived the battle. He needn't have worried, as he saw them sitting on the street café waving.
