March 08, 2008
Bronze Monument To Honor Navy's D-Day Heroes At Utah Beach Normandy
FAIRHOPE, Ala.
Sculptor Stephen Spears is turning history into bronze with the first monument to the Navy's D-Day heroes at Normandy and a statue of a World War I doughboy at the site of a landmark American victory in Cantigny, France.His three bronze figures of a Navy captain and two sailors will be installed on a bluff overlooking Utah Beach to remember the naval service's role in World War II's pivotal amphibious invasion, adding a new visual element to the landscape at the historic site.[,,,]
Spears said the Navy monument, nearing completion, will list all U.S. Navy ships that participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Some 1,068 sailors were killed and eight warships sunk. Hundreds of ships and thousands of men were involved in transporting Allied forces from England to Normandy.
The monument will be placed on land donated by the French government next to the Utah Beach Museum on the highest prominent point that overlooks the beach and the English Channel.
''As you approach this area, it will undoubtedly be the most riveting monument to the eye as you gaze across the landscape,'' said Streeter, who visited Utah Beach last summer for the first time.
In Cantigny, the doughboy statue's granite base was installed on July 8. Mounting the doughboy on the pedestal in May will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cantigny in World War I. That battle helped stem the German spring offensives of 1918.
Organizers have faced a challenge getting the word out to Normandy veterans who are declining with age. I certainly hope veterans will be able to see these wonderful pieces in honor of their service at this very decisive battle in our nations history.
See related links:
Naval Order. Org
Spears Creative Studio
Cantigny Park
American Battle Monuments Commission
