Sainte-Mère-Église: The First Town to be Liberated on D-Day
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- Опубликовано: 2 фев 2023
- Sainte-Mère-Église was the first town to be liberated on D-Day. It remains a popular place to visit in Normandy because it was memorialized in the 1962 movie, The Longest Day.
As famous as Sainte-Mère-Église is today, what's not generally known is how and why the town fit in to the overall invasion plan, the way in which it was liberated, and most importantly--who fought there, and what they experienced.
In this video, we visit Sainte-Mère-Église and talk about leaders like Colonel Edward C. Krause, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort, and Private John Steele who all played an important role in determining its outcome of that battle on June 6, 1944.
My dad was with 82 airborne, ,jumped into st mere eglise. I was born in Texas 4 th of June.
I brought my son there in 2007. It was an amazing experience to see the church I had seen in the movie and it still had a mannequin hanging from it. The stained glass windows has images of paratroopers along with the religious images. The people appreciated the paratroopers.
Great job putting this video together, My grand parents were not even 5 miles away that night they had been moved out of Cherbourg as a precaution because of the bombing of the harbor. As a child in the 70's my playground were the D-Day beaches, blockhaus and other battlefield, it was still almost untouched, La pointe du hoc was still like the fight happened the day before, we had to go over the rusty barbwire to access the bunkers. My grand mother's backyard was full of German and American helmet used as plant pots. One day my grand father who was going to Ste Mere Eglise, just right after D-day, trying to get some milk for my 4 years old mom actually saved the village he was coming from, 5kms away (walking) by talking to the Americans, there were about to bomb it, but there was no more German, they had fled away. To be sure they put my grand father on the hood of a jeep and drove to the village, once they saw there was no German, they dropped off my grandpa and they left. My grand father had to walk back to Ste Mere Eglise, he was pissed, but he avoided a blood bath. I live now in the US and became a US citizen, but I still go every year to Ste Mere Eglise, it means a lot to me, it's part of my family history.
A marvelous story. We are all tied to history, woven into history actually. Our task is too pass on events and hopefully those yet to be born will learn.
So glad your grandparents were in a safe space.
My Dad was B company 82nd Airbourne He was 19 when he made that jump on D day.
He said when his company came into the town guys from F company were hanging dead in their chutes. He said they took out the Germans in the town and set up for counter attacks.
I served in the 1st BN 508th PIR in Afghanistan, I knew two great veterans of the 1/508 PIR who fought in St. Mere Eglise. They were great warriors and leaders, and both came back to train up leaders until their deaths a few years ago. I saw them at all our battalion formals, and good Lord, never have I seen more decorated uniforms. And in those two uniforms were men who continued to shape our unit almost 80 years after the invasion of France.
Staff Sgt. Don "Jake" Jakeway and CSM Kenneth "Rock" Merrit were the real deal. AATW and Fury From the Sky
2 PLT, C Co., 1/508th PIR 2018-2021
My dad jumped in that night his third of four combat jumps made during the war. He was in the 505th. He was hit in the face with shrapnel on the way down, his shoot hooked on a building in the alley next to the aid station. He broke some fingers as he hit the building. He had to cut himself down and fell a short distance to the ground. He met up with another trooper and they crawled around a wall to the side of the aid station. As they got to the back the glider ( one shown in your video) crashed about a hundred feet or so from the back of the building. They managed to crawl out to the glider and met up with another trooper. The pilots were dead but there were a number of badly wounded men. Making several trips back and forth they managed to pull the wounded to safety and retrieve equipment and supplies while under heavy small arms and mortar fire. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his actions. I have a copy of the commendation he received and a photo of the three men taken a few days later. He like so many had an amazing story from Africa to Berlin. God bless those who served and those who serve now. Airborne all the way .
These men are truly worthy of the name, Greatest Generation. I thank God for their sacrifice to the good people of the world.
I met John Steele who was a friend of my fathers at an 82nd reunion in Atlantic City in the mid-1960s . My Dad also jumped into St. Mere Eglise with E Co 505 of the 82nd Airborne under my namesake: General James M Gavin. As I sit here writing this I look down under my computer screen at General Gavin's brass field cup given to me from the General after my birth in 1955. There was never a prouder bunch of men, then those that my father served with during those amazing days and nights.
Very well done, and very powerful. I have stayed in Sainte-Mère-Église many times and will be back many more. This town, her square and her history never cease to amaze me. My first exposure was hearing stories from my first boss. I was a wee lad, and he was an 82nd Airborne vet whose first combat ever was jumping into SME on D-day. His stories drove me to study WWII history, and to jump as a civilian for work (5300+ jumps), and I have since made three jumps into Normandy for the D-day anniversaries. I hope this story of heroism is never lost, and through productions like this, will not be lost. Thank you Mr. Fenzel.
Anyone that has ever hung in a parachute harness for more than the few seconds it takes to reach the ground, will tell you how painful it is! In jumpschool and jump refresher, you hang in "Suspended agony" for just a few minutes. I can't imagine how painful it was for Steele to hang like that for so long. I imagine he would have welcomed being taken prisoner!
My uncle lorenzo barron landed in omaha beach in the second wave made it all the way to the battle of the bulge. Where they were ambushed and he had to use one of his dead comrades to cover himself. The nazis were coming over and bayonting all the bodies. He survied that terrible insident, Survived the war he went on to be an officer in the korean war also, only to be killed in a car wreck in 1953. Yes this is the greatest generation and always will be.
Been there. You can feel history
St. Mere Eglise the most pro-US town in France (in my mind). I was treated well by the townsfolk when visiting several years ago. I still have the holy medal from the church on my id tags next to my St. Michael's medal.
Thank you all the help us win the ward 🇬🇧🇺🇸my Dad was in the RAF
Thank you to you an to our friends and allies. Been to this place a few times and will go again next year with family and british friends. Sacred ground.
A very well done documentary. Keep up the fine work.
Thanks so much for this film and documentary.
Thanks for this excellent summary, John! I've yet to visit Sainte Mere Elise but am planning to next year. My father jumped with the 2/505 of the 82nd on D-Day. In his division book he wrote that the 2/505 arrived in the city last, but arrived.
As a French, I'm sorry to tell you the first town liberated on D-Day was Ranville, by the British paratroopers. The title is wrong. But that change nothing about the extrem courage of all thoses men parachuted, landed and fought there specially in Normandy.
Thank you to the Greatest Generation
This town was grateful that the Allied Soldiers liberated it. Also when "The Longest Day" was on tv when I was a child,our dad watched it with us and explained what he saw after it was liberated. So glad that me and my brothers got this explanation from someone who went through the town. Daddy said that it was mess but the folks there were grateful that we had helped the Allies to run our the Nazis.
My grandpa was part of the force that took St. Mere Eglis. He was shot in the head while parashooting down!
was he killed then ?
@@cliftongaither6642 No, he recovered from it well. He took several dozen shrapnel hits throughout the war. One piece that hit his hip ached through the rest of his life, though.
Did he survive?
Brilliant vid , im visiting in may this has whet my appetite for more .
Excellent video. Very informative. Thanks
been there a number of times perhaps spoiled a little as a French town but who can blame them great informative video thanks for the upload.
Great video.
Me and my son were there actually not long ago. Didn't have anywhere near enough time.
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what/whom the orator was describing. Professional class A research project!!! Special thanks to the veteran soldiers/civilians sharing personal information/combat experiences. Making this documentary more authentic and possible. Special thanks to the veteran soldiers/civilians resistance groups./perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often times possible. Yet still advanced forward regardless of the consequences. That's true grit style determination to succeed.
Bravo les cineast😮❤❤❤❤😊
Who was Father Matthew J. Connolly . Regimental Catholic Chaplain. (11:05). What is his story?
COURAGE ❤🪂🙏
Very fine vidéo...in my opinion sainte Marie du mont was liberated first. It is only à detail if we consider that the two places are very close one to another.
I, too, hear that Sainte Marie du Mont was the first town liberated. It is situated about 5kms from Utah beach. They even had a banner around the church proclaiming this fact.
The importance and significance of, WORLD WAR 2 should be MANDATORY TEACHING in our schools. We should never lose sight of the SACRIFICES that were made to ensure that 6would have a FREE WORLD TODAY.
My dad said he lost all his close friends and they were shot all to peace’s, just uniform left
A Vietnam vet salutes the greatest generation
gloire aux alliés USA GREAT BRITAIN CANADA AND OVER from liberty Normandy and France of german nazi glory glory for 101 & 82 airborn soldiers dead from freedom immense respect !
Wasn't the story about hanging from the church tower in a parachute debunked long ago as a tall war story?
It’s a factual story-aside from his exact placement. He actually landed on the opposite side of the church!
your explanation and description of the Nazi military in Sainte-Mere-Eglise seems a little watered down and pansy according to my father. According to my Dad the Nazi no matter where the conscripts came from were Nazi period, and he said his tommy gun couldn't kill them fast enough. My Dad 82nd Airborne jumped there and was wounded twice during WW2.
I’d be honored to listen to your father’s perspectives regarding this location and D-Day! There are many stories that have yet to be told, 80 years later.
you liberated France by doing a lot of damage
especially in Marseilles on May 27, 1944
It is true that a lot of damage could have been avoided, actually more damage was done by the liberation than the German invasion. But a war is unpredictable and this was the price to pay for our freedom, and I will add that it could have been worse if de Gaulle didn't fight the American against Roosevelt plan to classify us as a a country on the loosing side. He even wanted to impose a new money in France.
@richardgrognard6394 The Ristance okayed it. They said that is war, plus they did sabotage. Yes we did, but it had to be done to push the Germsns out. Grow up study history.
@@juliemerritt5144 no it was a mistake by the American army, they killed 1400 civilians, destroyed 1/4 of Marseille
and they did the same in other cities in France, total annihilation of the cities even though the war was won.
a horror !!! but the Americans are only in their infancy, history confirms it today
COURAGE ❤🪂🙏