{"id":61175,"date":"2019-05-29T05:08:12","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T05:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/29\/normandy-tries-to-keep-alive-infinite-gratitude-for-d-day\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:17:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:17:27","slug":"normandy-tries-to-keep-alive-infinite-gratitude-for-d-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/military-honor\/salute-veterans\/2019\/05\/29\/normandy-tries-to-keep-alive-infinite-gratitude-for-d-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Normandy tries to keep alive \u2018infinite gratitude\u2019 for D-Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, France \u2014 At 10 years old, Henri-Jean Renaud watched U.S. paratroopers landing through the window of his Normandy home in the early hours of D-Day. Like other French who lived through the war, he\u2019s trying to pass on to younger generations the gratitude he feels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With fewer veterans and witnesses able to share personal memories, the French who owe their freedom to D-Day\u2019s fighters are more determined than ever to keep alive the memory of the battle and its significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump and other world leaders will gather next week in Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the invasion, which still looms large throughout this region. Normandy beaches, cemeteries and World War II memorials embody what French President Macron called \u201cour entire nation\u2019s infinite gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/05\/10\/one-by-one-d-day-memories-fade-as-wars-witnesses-die\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19129474888434.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">One by one, D-Day memories fade as war\u2019s witnesses die<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">One more funeral, one less witness to the world\u2019s worst war.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Renaud, now 85, recalls the strange atmosphere in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first village liberated by the Allies, on the morning of June 6, 1944. He could hear the fighting at a short distance but in the village, everything was calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe civilians came down on the pavement and tried to fraternize with the Americans by making victory signs, waving hello, etc. But there hasn\u2019t been any fraternization from the Americans because \u2014 you have to put yourself in their shoes \u2014 they were very nervous, very anxious. They had their finger on the trigger,\u201d Renaud said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"840\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133348135726.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-97947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133348135726.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133348135726.jpg.jpg?resize=300,210 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133348135726.jpg.jpg?resize=768,538 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133348135726.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,717 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this photo taken on April 30, 2019, French civilian survivor Henri-Jean Renaud, 85, talks during an interview with The Associated Press at his home in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Normandy, with a replica of a Dakota C-47 plane that was used on D-Day to drop U.S. paratroopers. At 10 years old, Renaud watched paratroopers landing through the window of his Normandy home in the early hours of D-Day. Like other French who lived through the war, he\u2019s trying to pass on to younger generations the gratitude he feels. (Nicolas Garriga\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraternization came later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All his life, Renaud has taken care of veterans, hosting them and helping them visit the former battlefields, \u201cbecause nothing touched me more than seeing those guys who were coming back, searching for the place where they were dropped, the place where they lost a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 15,000 paratroopers landed in and around Sainte-Mere-Eglise not long after midnight on June 6, 1944, and seized it from the Germans by 4:30 a.m. An American flag was raised in front of the town hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was making a lot of noise and the planes were flying low,\u201d recalled 97-year-old Albert Gu\u00e9gan, a French civilian survivor living in Carentan, a few kilometers away. \u201cWe were in a ditch near our house with the neighbors. We thought we would be hit by bombs. But no, it was not a bombing. It was the paratroopers!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/military-honor\/2019\/05\/12\/histopad-offers-new-view-of-d-day-at-national-museum-of-the-us-air-force\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19120580378997.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">\u2018HistoPad\u2019 offers new view of D-Day at National Museum of the US Air Force<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The French and the Americans are working together again on a D-Day project \u2014 this time to give museum visitors the opportunity to travel back in time and experience the milestone World War II invasion 75 years later.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 150,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, and more than 2 million Allied troops were in France by the end of August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among them was Frank Mouqu\u00e9, who landed on Sword Beach as a 19-year-old corporal with the British Royal Engineers. Now 94, he has returned to Normandy more than 30 times at the invitation of a French family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s marvelous, the way we\u2019re treated! They\u2019re so pleased to welcome a veteran in that sense. You sit outside in the coffee shop, having early morning cup of coffee and people come up and shake your hand and say: \u2018Merci, merci beaucoup. You are our savior!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133493211720.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"British D-Day veteran Frank Mouque poses for a portrait during a 75th anniversary D-Day event.\" class=\"wp-image-97950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133493211720.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133493211720.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133493211720.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19133493211720.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this May 13, 2019, photo, British D-Day veteran Frank Mouque poses for a portrait during a 75th anniversary D-Day event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. More than 150,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, and more than 2 million Allied troops were in France by the end of August. Among them was Mouque, who landed on Sword Beach as a 19-year-old corporal with the British Royal Engineers. (Matt Dunham\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">British veteran Jack Woods has also returned to Normandy many times. As soon as the bus stops, he walks down to the cafe near the cathedral in Bayeux, where the owner tells everyone to clear out to make room for his friends from Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey go mad,\u201d the 95-year-old said of his reception, adding that they always have \u201ca whale of a time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even amid the warmth, the trip is always a serious matter for him. He feels he has no choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/20\/virginia-town-remembers-the-high-price-paid-on-d-day\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19128505315761.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Virginia town remembers the high price paid on D-Day<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Twenty men from Bedford or the surrounding area were killed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Woods fought with the 9th Royal Tank Regiment and got to France at the end of June 1944, a few weeks after D-Day. But fighting was still intense, and many of the soldiers had never seen combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI promised them I would not forget them,\u201d he said of the pact he made with his fellow soldiers when he was just 20. \u201cI can\u2019t not go. We go over there and be with them \u2014 all these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"830\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299876792.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"a statue of WWII U.S. soldiers on Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France.\" class=\"wp-image-97951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299876792.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299876792.jpg.jpg?resize=300,208 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299876792.jpg.jpg?resize=768,531 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299876792.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,708 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this May 2, 2019, photo, people stand in a replica landing craft near a statue of WWII U.S. soldiers on Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France. With fewer veterans and witnesses able to share personal stories and memories, the French who owe their freedom to D-Day\u2019s fighters are more determined than ever to keep alive the memory of the battle and its significance. (Virginia Mayo\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Near Omaha Beach, the beauty of the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer strikes any visitor entering the site, with its immaculate lawns, majestic pines, commanding view of the Atlantic and row upon row of crosses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alain Dupain, 61, is a gardener who has worked at the cemetery for 35 years, maintaining the grounds with a team of 20 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We work for the families. When they come, we want the site to be perfect for them and their tombs &#8230; And I think if one of your loved ones dies and you arrive at a beautiful, well-maintained place like that, it will not erase the pain but might bring a little bit of relief.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/military-honor\/salute-veterans\/2019\/05\/21\/wwii-plane-rescued-from-boneyard-to-join-d-day-anniversary\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19120604507671.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">WWII plane rescued from boneyard to join D-Day anniversary<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Filled with paratroopers, a U.S. warplane lumbered down an English runway in 1944 to spearhead the World War II D-Day invasion with a message for Adolf Hitler painted in bright yellow across its nose: \u201cThat\u2019s All, Brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The site receives approximately 1 million visitors each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Superintendent Scott Desjardins of the American Battle Monuments Commission said the top priority \u201cis to keep this site at the highest standards possible because it is the promise we made to the families who decided to keep their loved ones with us. It overrides every other priority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The memorial of Colleville-sur-Mer also aims to preserve soldiers\u2019 stories, he added. \u201cSo we\u2019ll continue to say their names. And continue to tell people what it is that they did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"810\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299757254.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Normandy American Cemetery worker cleans headstones.\" class=\"wp-image-97956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299757254.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299757254.jpg.jpg?resize=300,203 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299757254.jpg.jpg?resize=768,518 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143299757254.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,691 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this May 2, 2019, photo, a worker cleans moss off the headstones of World War II soldiers at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. The beauty of the cemetery strikes any visitor entering the site, with its immaculate lawns, majestic pines, commanding view of the Atlantic and row upon row of crosses. (Virginia Mayo\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Normandy has more than 20 military cemeteries holding mostly Americans, Germans, French, British, Canadians and Polish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Karen Lancelle, 42, who grew up in Colleville-sur-Mer, has been a guide at the cemetery for 12 years. She said the memory of the battle is still alive among children in the region thanks to frequent school visits and family stories told by older generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cemetery is a place \u201cwhere meetings can happen between the veterans and the youngest ones.\u201d Nearly every day brings some kind of touching moment with American families, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While visiting the cemetery, Vietnam veteran Tom Woolbright, 75, from Fort Worth, Texas, insisted on thanking the people of France \u201cfor maintaining and for honoring the men who died on that day &#8230; in such a beautiful fashion like this cemetery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis bonds us, and a war like that should never happen again,\u201d Woolbright said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Raf Casert in Colleville-sur-Mer and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With fewer veterans and witnesses able to share personal memories, the French who owe their freedom to D-Day&#8217;s fighters are more determined than ever to keep alive the memory of the battle and its 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By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Normandy tries to keep alive \u2018infinite gratitude\u2019 for D-Day - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With fewer veterans and witnesses able to share personal memories, the French who owe their freedom to D-Day&#039;s fighters are more determined than ever to keep alive the memory of the battle and its significance.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Normandy tries to keep alive \u2018infinite gratitude\u2019 for D-Day\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With fewer veterans and witnesses able to share personal memories, the French who owe their freedom to D-Day&#039;s fighters are more determined than ever to keep alive the memory of the battle and its significance.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/military-honor\/salute-veterans\/2019\/05\/29\/normandy-tries-to-keep-alive-infinite-gratitude-for-d-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-05-29T05:08:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:17:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Catherine Gaschka, The Associated Press, Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Catherine Gaschka, The Associated Press, Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/military-honor\\\/salute-veterans\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/29\\\/normandy-tries-to-keep-alive-infinite-gratitude-for-d-day\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/military-honor\\\/salute-veterans\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/29\\\/normandy-tries-to-keep-alive-infinite-gratitude-for-d-day\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Normandy tries to keep alive 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