This is the story of one remarkable woman, whose devotion to a generation of heroes transcended all boundaries.
Madame Simone Renaud witnessed the liberation of France on June 6, 1944 from a very unique vantage point – the small town of St. Mere Eglise – the first town liberated in the D Day invasion and the drop point for the 82nd and 101st airborne division of the United States Army.
It was here that she, along with her three young sons and husband, the mayor of St. Mere Eglise, watched the triumph and tragedy unfold during a day that defined history. And it was here that so many American soldiers, who gave their lives to protect freedom and democracy, found their final resting place.
Madame Renaud spent a lifetime tending to the graves of those American soldiers and corresponding with their loved ones back home. She became friend, family and touchstone to those whose lives were forever changed by
D-Day.
The mark she left is indelible. Her story is too. Simone Renaud bridged an ocean.
