National Guard Monument
Details:
Located on top of the old German bunker, right above the beach. Monument This U-shaped concrete monument has black inscription on the inside of the U that details the extent to which the National Guard was used during both World Wars. It was built on top of a German bunker that inflicted catastrophically heavy casualties on National Guardsmen of the 29th Infantry Division as they landed in the Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach.
Monument Text:
THE NATIONAL GAURD ANSWERED THE CALL TO ARMS WHEN THE UNITED
STATES MOBILIZED ITS FROCES IN 1918 AND VIRTUALLY EVERY GUARDSMAN
SERVED IN FRANCE WITH THE HISTORIC AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
APROXIMATELY EVERY FIFTH SOLDIER IN THE A.E.F. WAS A CITIZEN SOLDIER
OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. NATIONAL GUARDSMEN FOUGHT IN EVERY BATTLE
IN WHICH AMERICAN TROOPS WERE ENGAGED, AND OF THE 48,909 AMERICAN
BATTLE DEATHS, 18,238 WERE GUARDSMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT
THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE, BELGIUM, AND HOLLAND MIGHT LIVE, ONCE AGAIN,
IN FREEDOM AND PEACE
TO THE GLORY OF THE CITIZEN-SOLDIER OUR TROOPS HAVE FAITHFULLY
FULFILLED THEIR TRUST, AND IN A SUCESSION OF BRILLIANT OFFENSIVES,
HAVE OVERCOME THE MENACE TO OUR CIVILIZATION.
- GEN. JOHN J. PERSHING FEBRUARY 1919
LUNEVILLE CHEMIN DES DAMES TOUL-BOUCO. CAHTEAU-THIERRY. AMIENS
SOMME. VERDUN-FROMEREVILLE. CLERMONT. GRANGE-LE-COMTE. ESSEY-PANN
"LA NATIONAL GAURD" A REPONDU A L'APPEL A ARMES LORSQUE
LES ETAS UNIS ONT MOBILISE LEURS FORCES EN 1918. ILS ONT SERVI
EN FRANCE DANS LES RANGS DU CELEBRE CORPS EXPEDITIONAIRE
AMERICAIN. LE GUARDES NATION AUX ONT PARTICIPE A TOUTES LES
BATTAILLES OU LES TROUPES AMERICAINES ETAIENT ENGAGEES ET SUR
48,909 AMERICAIN MORTS AU CHAMPE D'HONNE UR 18,238 ETAINTE DES
GARDES NATION AUX. ILS ONT DONNE LEUR VIE POUR QUE LES PEUPLES
DE FRANCE DE BELGIQUE ET DES PAYS-BAS PUISSENT VIVRE DE NOUVE AU
DANS LA LIBERTE ET DANES LA PAIX
"LA GLORE DES SOLDATS CITOYENS NOS TROUPES ONT FIDELEMENT ACOMPLI
LEUR MISSION ET PAR UNE SUCCESSION DE BRILLIANTES OFFENSIVES
ELLES ONT CONJURE LE PERIL QUI MENACAIT NOTRE CIVILISATION"
- GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING FEVIER 1919
CHAMPAGNE-MARNE. AISNE-MARNE. VESLE. BACCARAT. FISMES. OISE-AISNE
ST MIHIEL. YPRES-LYS. AVO-COURT. TROYON-MUESSE-ARGONNE THIAUCOURT
"FOR OUR COMRADES IN ARMS WHO
HAVE FALLEN MAY THE BLESSING OF
THE ALMIGHTY GOD DESCEND UPON
TIS SPOT AND REMAIN FOREVER"
A CHAPLAIN 29TH INFANTRY
DIVISION JUNE 1944
THOUSANDS OF CITIZEN-SOLDIERS OF THE
NATIONAL GUARD STORMED ASHORE ON THESE
BEACHES ON 6 JUNE 1944, AS PART OF THE ARMY
OF THE UNITED STATES, THEY FOUGHT VALIANTLY
AND WITH GREAT DISTINCTION IN ALL THE
ENSUING BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS OF WORLD
WAR II. MORE THAN A QUARTER-CENTURY
EARLIER, IN WORLD WAR I, THEIR FATHERS SHED
BLOOD IN EUROPE IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM
TO ALL OF THEM, AND TO THE PRINCIPLES
FOR WHICH THEY FOUGHT, THIS MONUMENT
IS DEDICATED
"POR NOUS CAMPAGNONS D'ARMEE TOMBRES
A CHAMP D'HONNEUR PUISSE DIEU
TOUT PUISSANT REPANDRE A JAMAIS
SA BENEDICTION SUR CE COIN DE TERRE"
UN AUMONIER 29eme DIVISION
D'INFANTERIE JUIN 1944
DES MILLIERS DE SOLDATS CITOYENS DE LA
"NATIONAL GUARD" DE BARQUE SUR CES
PLAGES LE 6 JUIN 1944 DANS LES RANGS DE
L'ARMEE DES ETAS UNIS ILS ONT COMBATTU
VAILAMENT HEROIQUEMENT DANS TOUTES
LES BATTAILLES ET AU COURS DES CAMPAGNES DE
LA 2eme GUERRE MONDIALE PLUS D'UN QUART
DE SIECLE AUPARAVANT PENDANT LA PREMIERE
GUERRE MONDIAL LEURS PERES AVIENT
VERSE LEUR-SANG EN EUROPE POUR LA CAUSE
DE LA LIBERTE C EST A EUX ET AUX PRINCIPLES
POUR LES QUELS ILS ONT COMBATTU QUE SE
MONUMENT EST DEDIE
NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES
IN THE GREATEST WAR IN HISTORY, CITIZEN-SOLDIERS OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD FOUGHT IN EVERY ACTION IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES ARMY
ENGAGED COMPILING BRILLIENT COMBAT RECORDS IN EVERY CORNER OF
THE WORLD. SOME 300,000 NATIONAL GUARDSMEN WERE MOBILIZED IN
1940-41 AS AMERICA MADE READY FOR A CONFLICT THAT WAS TO ENGULF
MUCH OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD. NATIONAL GUARDSMEN TOOK PART IN
34 MAJOR CAMPAIGNS AND SEVEN ASSAULT LANDINGS, INCLUDING THE
HISTORIC ASSAULT WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THE BEACHES BELOW THIS SITE
ON 6 JUNE 1944, THOUSANDS BECAME CASUALTIES WITHIN VIEW OF THIS
MONUMENT, MANY OOF THEM CUT DOWN BY FIRE FROM THE BATTERED
ENEMY PILLBOX UPON WHICH THIS MEMORIAL STANDS
I HATE AS ONLY A SOLDIER WHO HAS LIVED IT CAN. YET THERE
IS ONE THING TO BE SAID ON THE CREDIT SIDE VICTORY REQUIRED A
MIGHTY MANIFESTATION OF THE MOST ENNOBLING VIRTUES OF MAN
FAITH, COURAGE, FORTITUDE, SACRAFICE.
GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER JUNE 10 1944
AU COURS DE LA PLUS GRANDE GUERRE DE HISTOIRE LES SOLDATS
CITOYENS DE LA NATIONAL GUARD ONT PARTICIPE A TOUTES LES ACTIONS
DANS LESQUELLES L'ARMEE DES ETATS UNIS A ETE ENAGAGES INSCRIVANT
A LEUR ACTIF DE BRILLANTS ETATS DE SERVICE DANS TOUTES LES PARTIES
DU MONDE. TROIS CENT MILLE GARDES NATIONAUX ONT ETE MOBILES EN
1940-41 ALORS QUE L'AMERIQUE SE PREPARAIT POUR UN CONFLICT, QUI
DEVAIT RAVAGER UNE GRANDE PARTIE DU MONDE CIVILISE ILS ONT PARTICIPE
A 34 CAMPAGNES, A 7 OPERATIONS DE DEBARQUEMENT NOTAMENT AU
DEBARQUEMENT QUI EUT LIEU SUR CES PLAGES LE 6 JUIN 1944. DES
MILLIERS D'ENTRE EUX PERIRENT ICI-MEME PLUSIEURS FURENT FAUCHES
PAR LE FEU DU BLOCKHAUS, SUR, LEQUEL CE MONUMENT EST ERIGE.
"JE HAIS LA GUERRE COMME SEUL PEUT LA FAIRE UN SOLDAT QUI L'AVECUE
POURTANT UNE CHOSE PEUT ETRE MISE A SON CREDIT LA VICTOIRE A EXIGE
UNE PUISSANTE MANIFESTATION DES PLUS NOBLES VERTUS DE L'HOMME
LA FOLLE COURAGE LA GRANDEURD D'AME ET LE SACRIFICE."
GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISSENHOWER 10 JUIN 1944
NORMANDY. SOUTHERN FRANCE. NORTHERN FRANCE. RHINELAND. ARDENNES. ALSACE-LORRAIN. AUSTRIA. CZECHOSLOVAKIA. BELGIUM. HOLLAND. LUXEMBOURG.
