Zoë Simmons — Bayeux

A memorial to Major Dick Winters near Utah Beach

From our launching point in Bayeux, we toured the rolling fields and long, flat beaches of the Normandy region. In the sands of Utah, Gold, and Omaha beaches, we studied the events of Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in history, and the early days of the campaign to liberate Europe. While the scale of these efforts—and the manpower, resources, and logistical support necessary to maintain them—was emphasized in the museums we visited, an underlying theme of small unit valor emerged as we visited the sites. First, the memorial to Major Richard Winters near Utah Beach celebrated his leadership and bravery in the effort to get the allies off of the beaches. Winters was the leader of a unit that took a key German position in a mansion not far from Utah Beach, and historians conclude that the success of this operation came down to Winter’s leadership and the bravery of those he led. Without eliminating the threat posed by a battery of artillery stationed at Brécourt Manor, the Americans on Utah Beach would have been vulnerable as they landed. The statue of Major Winters also includes a dedication to “all those who led the way on D-Day,” acknowledging acts of leadership the ranks that made Operation Overlord a success.

A memorial to the 30th Infantry Division on Hill 314

This theme was most evident in our visit to Hill 314, the site of a decisive battle fought by the 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, which defended this key terrain against the German Operation Lüttich counteroffensive. Early in the engagement, the Germans captured the town of Mortain, home to the command post for the battalion. With their senior officers captured, company commanders stationed on the hill with their men rose to the occasion and successfully defended their positions over the course of a grueling 5 day fight. Under their leadership, the 690 men held out in dire conditions and prevented the Wehrmacht from reaching the channel coast at Avranches. Our stop at Hill 314, which presented the most explicit celebration of lower-level leadership in the Normandy campaign, was a meaningful end to our time in Bayeux.

Me at the top of Hill 314, so named for its height above sea level measured in meters (as was the convention for the US Army at the time)