HISTORY LESSON

Ste-Mère-Eglise was the first town to be liberated on the 6th June 1944. Situated in the "Place du 6 Juin", the church dates back to the 11th and 13th centuries. Its belfry was used by German snipers and was made famous by the American parachutist, Private John Steele who became entangled in the steeple and feigned dead for two hours before being captured. A stained glass window in the church depicts the American parachute drop. In front of the Mairie is the km 0 marker, the first marker in a series of 12,000 that line the route of the "Liberty Road" to Bastogne.