Category: Ravenoville

Ravenoville, France

June 4, 2024

Ravenoville is a community of 250 inhabitants, about 1.5 hours’ walk from Sainte Mere Eglise, where the paratroopers first landed during the Liberation. Dennis made a sign, and we hitched to the Eternal Heroes Memorial ceremony to which Dennis had been invited.

Dennis had been here previously, and the olive tree sampling was now about 12 feet tall and bearing fruit. We took a few moments to reflect on his father’s plaque.

Ernest Blanchard's Commemorative Olive Tree
Ernest Blanchard’s Commemorative Olive Tree
Ernest Blanchard Plaque

The ceremony commenced with a fly-over and lasted about 1.5 hours. Attendees included aged veterans, families of veterans, military officers, and state officials. Following the presentation of The Colors, a military band played the American and French anthems, and then an al Capella group sang the Band of Brothers theme song. The gist of the speeches was liberty, freedom, and the necessity for each individual to vote to ensure a free world. This is particularly important this year because there are more elections worldwide than any other year. Too much is at stake not to take heed and vote wisely.

C47 fly over
C47 fly over

At the ceremony, Dennis and other relatives of the veterans honored at the memorial were awarded a flag that had flown over the memorial and a medallion commemorating the event.

Ernest Blanchard Plaque
Ernest Blanchard Plaque

Following the remembrance commemoration, Dennis enjoyed talking with the attendees. Two sisters gave us a lift back to Sainte Mere Eglise.

Thursday, June 5, 2014 Ravenoville, FR

20140605_133932 ceremony 600We rented mountain bikes today to bicycle to Ravenoville, FR about 24 miles (40 km) from La Haye-du-Puits. By the time we got there, I almost in tears because the bike was not fitted for me and caused me pain. We did not know the area and made a few wrong turns, but managed to get there prior to the invitations-only commemoration honoring the American Airborne soldiers who liberated the town on D-Day +1.

20140605_133826 plaque 300Several veterans now in their 90s where honored personally. Other family members represented those who could not make it or were deceased.

To open the ceremony, a woman sang the American, French, and German national anthems. Of course, there was recognition all the dignitaries and introduction of each veteran that was present. (Jim “Peewee” Martin was missing, having gone to jump from a plane). William Sullivan, who was in the 82nd 505th Headquarters as was Dennis’s father, was also present, but he left before Dennis could speak with him. Hopefully they will meet up before we leave.

20140605_145940 dennis planting tree 300Dennis planted an olive tree, the symbol of peace, near the plaque for his father. At the end of the ceremony 18 trees surrounded the monument.

There was a presentation of the colors, a fly over by the C47s, and then each honoree (or family representative) was given a bronze statue representing an Airborne paratrooper. The figurines are cast of bronze and finished one at a time. The unique figurines are numbered. The one Dennis received is number 50, while the person next to him received number 1–the gift of the draw.  These statues were a surprise and very moving occasion.

The ceremony ended with the theme song from Band of Brothers. I had never heard the song and both Dennis and I were moved to tears by it.

20140605_153607 Dennis receives statue 300Since I was too sore to ride back, I hitched a ride to Sainte-Mère-Église on a Belgian 1.5 ton, WW II US military fire truck. It was a nice ride back, and I enjoyed talking the real-life firemen who were re-enacting the WWII fire brigade.

Dennis, stayed to see if he could talk to the veterans and have a glass of champagne. I was surprised to see him so quickly and we skedaddled to the bus stop to catch the bus, which was late as we expected. This was good because we were able to put the bikes in the baggage storage under the bus, and make it back to La Haye-du-Puits in time to return the bikes. We then made plans to return in the morning to rent a scooter.

Since the sun does not set until after 10 pm, our eating habits are screwed up. We had a late supper and then turned in, tired by the days adventures.

20140605_162809 jane in firetruck cropped large