It is not the most well-known photo in the Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum at Camp Beauregard, Pineville, but it is one of my favorites and I am always careful to point it out to those who could understand the meaning of the event.

The camera caught a large group of men in two groups, side by side as they all are standing on the far side of a road. In fact it is a division of men, the 82nd Division. They achieved much distinction in WWI. One of their men achieved the ultimate award as he received the Medal of Honor, the highest award that can be presented to a member of the United States armed services.
His name was Alvin York. His award came because of his single-handed capture of many German soldiers not to mention the decimation of many others, all accomplished by himself. He was there as the Guest of Honor as his old 82nd Division was about to be split into two new divisions that would each go on to earn much more honor in future encounters.

The photo shows York, standing by a flagpole as he addresses the group of men across the road. By the way, our local Korean War Veterans Chapter had a ceremony there a few years back at that flagpole where a circular walk still surrounds it and the street in front is still there. The only thing changed is where the two divisions of men were, now stands a huge grove of pine timber, managed by the U.S. Forest Serv.

Back to the event in the photo. The 82nd Division was being split into two separate units, each of which would go on to be an airborne division, the first two in the US Army. Half the division kept its former numerical 82nd and the other became one which was to go on and make its parent outfit very proud. The division was designated the 101st Airborne which was signified by the shoulder patch, the Screaming Eagles. Both units served with great dignity and with a high degree of success. (If you have not already seenthis York photo please ask the volunteer to show it to you on your next visit to the museum.)

Now, back to the D-Day Invasion of France. It was a huge, well derived plan to gain an Allied foothold on the France shoreline and begin the liberation of Europe from the German boot.

Both the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions, numbering around a total of 13,000 paratroopers were delivered by 12 troop carrier groups of the IX Troop Carrier Command. The plan of the attack was to achieve surprise and therefore the drop was planned to approach Normandy from the west. Numerous factors affected their performance, the primary of which was the decision to make a massive parachute drop at night ( a tactic not used again for the remainder of WWII.)As a result, 45% of the units were widely scattered and unable to assemble as planned. The pathfinder teams had many troubles marking the landing zones and that severely affected the success of their mission.

Three regiments of the 101st Airborne paratroopers were dropped first, between 00:48 and 01:40 followed by the 82nd Airborne drops between 01:51 and 02:42. Each operation involved approximately 400 C-47 aircraft.

At the end of the first 24 hours of the D-Day Invasion, only 2,500 troops of the 101st and 2,000 of the 82nd were under the control of their divisions, approximating a third of the force dropped.
Paratroopers continued to roam and fight behind enemy lines for many days.The little town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise was occupied early in the morning of 6 June, giving it the claim of the first town liberated in the invasion.

It seemed as though everything that could go wrong for the invading forces did yet they perserved and continued their task until the mission was accomplished.  It is so easy to sit here and relate these happenings when you know that many things went wrong for the people trying to do good and there were many deaths and wounds that were carried to the graves of those who gave so much for so few.

I have not had the privilege to visit any of these D-Day Beaches and towns where so many men were killed or wounded, nor have I had the privilege to visit any of the Memorials and especially the cemeteries for the men who gave their lives for Freedom.

I understand the beaches at Normandy are still referred to on maps by their invasion codenames.  Many cemeteries dot the area. One, in Colleville-sur-Mer contains row upon row of white crosses and Stars of David, immacuolately kept, commemorating the American dead who came to free the French from tyranny. There are, of course, German cemeteries, also well kept.

Streets near the beaches are still named after the units that fought there, and occasional markers commemorate notable incidents.  As in life, wearing uniforms all alike, with the same badges, etc., so in death, the headstones all the same size all alike except the name and outfit.  It's all still military and in it's sameness it is very different!