The American paratroopers who descended into Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, were seen as heroes by the people who witnessed their arrival. Paul Renaud, a resident of Sainte Mere Eglise, described them as saviors and likened them to heroes in a movie. These paratroopers came to deliver France from the evil of Adolf Hitler’s regime.
The people of Normandy show their gratitude to the D-Day liberators even 80 years after the invasion. Stained-glass windows in the churches of Normandy pay tribute to the American paratroopers. This honor is usually reserved for celebrating the deliverance of Jesus Christ but has been extended to these brave soldiers.
In Sainte Mere Eglise, the first French town liberated by U.S. Army paratroopers on D-Day, a dummy paratrooper hangs from the church steeple as a tribute to Pvt. John Steele, who famously got caught on the steeple while jumping into France. The stained-glass windows inside the church depict paratroopers in action, surrounded by parachutes and watched over by Mother Mary and Baby Jesus.
The story of Sainte Mere Eglise and the paratroopers was immortalized in the book “The Longest Day.” The town was hit by a stray bomb, causing a fire that the residents, along with German soldiers, worked together to extinguish. The paratroopers soon overpowered the Germans, marking the first U.S. airborne victory of D-Day.
The surviving liberators returned to Sainte Mere Eglise for the 25th anniversary of D-Day in 1969, where another stained-glass window was installed in their honor. The symbolism in the artwork pays tribute to the human saviors who returned in spirit for the commemoration.
In the nearby village of Angoville au Plain, stained-glass windows also honor American paratroopers. The church in Angoville au Plain was turned into a hospital for the wounded by medics Kenneth Moore and Robert Wright, who provided aid not only to their fellow soldiers but also to German soldiers and wounded civilians.
The church serves as a testament to the horror and heroism of D-Day, with some pews still stained with blood from the wounded. The bravery and selflessness of these paratroopers and medics continue to be remembered and celebrated through these beautiful stained-glass tributes.