On July 4, 1917, a top aide to General John J. Pershing, Commander of the American Expeditionary Force that came to the aid of France during World War I, gave an eloquent speech at the tomb of the Marquis de Lafayette, who played a critical role in the victory of George Washington's forces in the American Revolution. "Lafayette," he said with great reverence, "we are here." In the American Revolution, France was our strongest ally. Lafayette was America's leading military supporter there. Flash