Saint-Cyr Military Academy was extremely busy this afternoon. Two rows of ceremonial guards, wearing white plume caps and with swords at their sides, lined up on both sides of the entrance, ready to welcome the guests. They followed the concrete road, passing the school's museum and officers' club, all the way to the playground behind the office building.
(The picture above shows a corner of Saint-Cyr Military Academy. During World War I, Saint-Cyr Military Academy was located in the outskirts of Paris. Later, during the Allied counter-offensive in World War II, the academy was razed to the ground, and its new location was moved to Rennes, 300 kilometers from Paris.)
On the playground, cadets from each unit were nervously assembling into formations, while some stragglers were still adjusting their uniforms as they hurriedly joined the ranks.
