Espace Mémoriel de la Fière — Attraction in Cherbourg

What an inspiring place to visit and see how well the French have preserved the historical value of this location. In today's world it is hard to describe what took place here and how significant it was. Just look at all of the battlefield decorations given out to the troops and you can see how tough the battle was. One thing of special note I had not been aware of. For all of the NCAA football fans, you should remember the coach of Syracuse University back in the 50's, 60's up to 1971. He is in the college football Hall of Fame and coached many many future All Americans. His name was Ben Schartzwalder and how was a captain in the Army Airborne that took part in the fight on this bridge. He received several decorations as a result. A true citizen soldier! We came back for the parachute drop and it was breathtaking, something that is really a "once in a lifetime" experience. My compliments to all of the French that keep the memory...

This is a wonderful memorial to the men of elements of the U.S. 505th and 508th parachute infantry regiments, who, along with assistant division commander Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin, fought hard against fierce German counterattacks at La Fière Bridge over the Merderet River to protect the western flank of the 82nd Airborne Division’s objective of Sainte Mère Église as part of Mission Boston during Operation Neptune on 6 June 1944. The dedicatory plaques and the statue of Gavin are an inspirational reminder of the blood that...

This is one of the two bridges that were the way out of Utah Beach and through the lowlands flooded by the Germans. It was the scene of great sacrifice by the USA Airborne troops. The area is well-preserved and allows a very good visualization of the scene of the battle. The monuments are quite nice. We encountered quite a few locals, tourists and USA service members here on June 6, 2019; the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. You can sense the history and...