BE PART OF THE LEGACY

The history of Carentan stretches well beyond the Middle Ages, but the area is likely known more for its significance in World War II. Forming part of the northwest coast of France, the region was the location of bloody battles which ensured the success of the Allied troop landings in Normandy in June 1944.  The town was a strategic early goal of the D-Day landings; capturing the town was necessary to link the American forces which had landed at Utah and Omaha beaches and were divided by the Douve river estuary. 

Remarkably, the Allied efforts were led by a brand-new unit of the American Army – the 101st Airborne. This elite fighting force came from the sky — paratroopers who took the German occupiers by surprise and liberated the city after only five days of fighting.  Most who volunteered for this new airborne division were barely 20 years old. In fact, the 101st Airborne Division had been formed only two years prior.  These brave men willingly put their lives at home on hold to deliver the world from Hitler’s Nazi regime.  They paid a high price to restore freedom to Carentan, to Normandy, to France, and ultimately the entire free world. Many of them now sleep for eternity in the cemeteries of Normandy. 

The people of Carentan have not forgotten either the sacrifices made by hundreds of these soldiers nor the friendships formed with the “Sons of Uncle Sam”. As soon as the German occupiers were driven out, Carentan’s Mayor Albert Joret began working closely with the provisional governor of the liberated territories – Major Maginnis of the 101st Airborne – to supply the city with power, food, and water. These two men found ongoing support from Max Taylor, the General in command of the 101st Airborne. 

Once the city had been cleared of the last German snipers following the success of Operation Overlord, Taylor organized a ceremony to honor his division by presenting the Silver Star to his four regimental commanders. A distinguished linguist, Taylor addressed the Carentan residents in French who gathered at the city’s central Place de la République for a medal ceremony organized to honor these heroes of Carentan.  

The children of Carentan crowded around in their Sunday-best clothes, the girls with ribbons in their hair and bouquets in their hands, to thank their liberators. Children such as Jean Le Poitevin, Sylviane Lefevre, and Danièlle Laisney were not going to miss any of these festive gatherings and did their best to avoid their chaperones, Mesdames Haugard and Truffaut.  After all, the American G.I.s were quick to engage with the children, stuffing their pockets with sweets and this curious substance called “gum.” 

In the middle of the ceremony, guests were horrified when two German shells fell on the square, injuring 19 civilians and killing five. The casualties included little Danièlle Laisney, who was only four years old.  After the countless days of suffering beneath the boots of the Nazi occupiers over the prior six years, this unwelcome incursion served to further the atrocities recorded in the annals of the German invasion. 

These memories, bolstered by respect and warmth towards the prestigious 101st Airborne Division, will now be embodied in The Four Colonels of Carentan monument.  The inspiration for the monument comes from an historic photo of the four colonels decorated by Taylor.  This image, under the gaze of little Danièlle Laisney, provides a poignant symbol of strength, conveying the emotion across the ages, while carrying a simple message of peace, humanity, and fraternity.  The monument will be cast in bronze as a permanent reminder for generations to come of these events and the subsequent French-American friendship that ensued. 

A Monument for Carentan and the 101st Airborne 

The statue of The 4 Colonels of Carentan is destined to become a focal point for the thousands of visitors who come each year from all over the world to remember and honor not only the heroes of the liberation of Normandy, but also of France and Europe. 

The region of Normandy is home to skilled metalsmiths recognized worldwide in the art of forging metal. Cornille-Havard, a company in the nearby town of Villedieu les Poêles, are the manufacturers of worldrenowned creations in bronze, statues – and bells, including those of the prestigious Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. The task of creating a life-size statue of this immortal scene showing General Taylor decorating his four colonels at attention in the Place de la République has been given to the skilled craftsmen of Cornille-Havard. The task is immense, and the mission, sacred. 

The project is estimated to cost 350,000 Euros, which will require worldwide participation in order to be completed. A fund-raising campaign was launched two years ago. The goal is not the creation of yet another WWII statue or monument, but a tangible testimony available to as many people as possible symbolizing the commitment of the 101st Airborne for the freedom of Carentan. 

Historical background 

On June 13, 1944, after four days of bloody fighting by the tanks of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division and the die-hard paratroopers of the 101st Airborne, the Nazi advance by German paratroopers and armored vehicles was decisively beaten back. The people of Carentan and the city itself were shattered, but finally liberated.  The city could now host a ceremonial presentation of medals on the Place de la République, which clearly bore the scars of the recent bombings. 

General Maxwell D. Taylor, Commander of the Screaming Eagles, thanked and celebrated the initial achievements of his young division by awarding the Silver Star to the four commanders of the four regiments that made up the 101st Airborne Division: 

• Lieutenant Colonel John Michaelis, Commanding Officer of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment 

• Colonel Howard R. Johnson, Commanding Officer of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment 

• Colonel Robert F. Sink, Commanding Officer of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment 

• Joseph Harper, Commanding Officer of the 327th/401st Glider Infantry Regiment. 

A photo was captured of this historic event and the image would go around the world, symbolizing the sacrifices made to liberate Carentan. 

These four colonels would have varied fates within the glorious 101st Airborne. John Michaelis was seriously wounded in the Netherlands in September 1944. Howard Johnson died leading his dear  “Geronimos,” also in the Netherlands, at the beginning of October 1944. Both Robert Sink, a pioneering paratrooper, and Bud Harper, survived the conflict and led their respective regiments to Berchtesgaden – Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat at the culmination of the dramatic final days of WWII. 

Unfortunately, death struck the inhabitants of Carentan indiscriminately. The medal ceremony on June 23rd at the Place de la République was one such occasion. Meant to be a festive event, the day swiftly turned into a nightmare. Two German shells fell on the square, which was crowded with soldiers and civilians. The GIs immediately flattened themselves to the ground but the civilians weren’t as lucky. Five were killed, including four-year-old Danielle Laisney and little Alain Leroux. Another 19 civilians were injured. 

In honor of these men and the soldiers they commanded, several hundred of whom fell for the liberation of the city, Carentan wishes to honor and memorialize their sacrifice, which cannot be forgotten.