NormandySainte-Mère-Église

Sainte-Mère-Église was the first town liberated during D-Day. During the night of June 5th and 6th 1944 American paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division descended on the German occupiers of Sainte-Mère-Église and after heavy combat the town was freed.

Sainte-Mère-Église is also famous for what happened to private John Steele, of the 505th Paratrooper Infantry Regiment during the night the paratroopers landed. Steele had his parachute catch on the church steeple of Sainte-Mère-Église. He hung from the steeple for over two hours with the church's bell continuously ringing a few feet from his head. In memory of this, a dummy US soldier hangs from the same church steeple. The church and it square are now major tourist attractions.

Related Links:
Sainte-Mere-Eglise in Normandy 1944
French town still remembers D-Day liberation

Local Hotel:
Hotel Du 6 Juin