Presbytère

On 7−21−15, I came here to see Normandy on a tour. This church has a lot of rich history and there still is a replica of a US paratrooper and chute caught on the steeple, as D-​Day began and the church honors the sacrifice of the allied troops.
This was a nice stop as the Airborne museum is across the lot from here. Inside the Presbytere, there is a beautiful stained glass window and wooden pews for the parishioners.
Seeing the popular war cine from the WWII period (like SPR, the Longest Day, and Band of Brothers), this tour and spending time in Normandy really personalized the experience and made it real for me.

One of my grandfathers was in World War II in the Pacific Theater so I only know of the European front of the war from history books and movies. I drove with a small group from Paris to Normandy and passed through St. Mere Eglise on a late gloomy afternoon.
I can’t imagine the courage required to jump out of a plane in the dark as the enemy shoots at you like a duck in a shooting gallery. Add to that horror by getting caught out in the open and hanging helplessly from the side of a building in full view of the enemy.
There are other WWII memorials. Inside the church, there is a stained glass window depicting paratroopers. Nearby, there is an airborne museum. However, the effigy of the paratrooper hanging from the church spire was really moving. It is a simple memorial but powerful in it’s simplicity.