A stele for the 6th Special Brigade of American Engineering

On June 6, 1998, fifty-four years after the landing, a crowd attended the inauguration of a granite stele dedicated to the 6th United States Army Special Engineer Brigade, near Omaha Beach.

Colonel George A. Itzel, master of ceremonies, invited Jean-Marie Oxéant to unveil the monument hitherto covered with a blue veil. The French and American anthems preceded the speeches. The colonel thanked the commune of Vierville, which had offered the land.

The mayor recalled the role of genius in the preparation of the Landing and in the logistical support for the advance of troops. He wanted the calm of the valley, its greenery and the wind in the trees to offer visitors a place of peace and recollection, in tribute to those who fell against tyranny. Many veterans of the brigade attended the ceremony with emotion.

Archive image: https://vierville.cordelle.eu/Photos2008/1998-Stele6BSG--1998.jpg