Special Operation Command Europe pays respects to linage at the Normandy French Resistance Memorial

Photo By Capt. Margaret Collins DuTart | Soldiers from U.S. Special Operations Command Europe traveled from Stuttgart, Germany to the town of St. Marie Du Mont to participate in the French Resistance Memorial Dedication Ceremony on June 05, 2021 in order to commemorate the brave French citizens who were credited with helping the Jedburgh teams succeed in defeating the Nazis throughout occupied Europe. Many of the most elite Special Operation Commands today credit their lineage to the Jedburgh teams.  

ST. MARIE DU MONT, FRANCE

06.06.2021

Story by Capt. Margaret Collins DuTart 

U.S. Special Operations Command Europe   

Normandy, France – Col. Marc V. LaRoche, Deputy Commander for Special Operations Command Europe provided remarks at a ceremony honoring the members of the French Resistance on June 05, 2021 in a ceremony held in the town of St. Marie Du Mont.
“The modern legacy of Special Operations Command Europe began in France,” LaRoche Said. “Specifically, our story, or the story of Special Forces in Europe, includes a very important chapter entitled, “Jedburgh.”

The success of the Jedburgh teams is credited to the support received from members of the French Resistance. “We know that 83 American, 90 British, 103 French, five Belgian, and five Dutch personnel made up the original Jedburgh teams with 93 teams parachuting into France and eight teams parachuting into The Netherlands on that fateful night in 1944. What we don’t know is the exact number of Maquis and ordinary French citizens who aided their efforts through toughness, tenacity and grit.” LaRoche said.

The area surrounding the monument features 93 bronze parachutes, representing the Jedburgh teams that infiltrated into France to support and enable Maquis operations. From these teams, modern day Special Operations for countries around the world were born, with some of the most elite organizations tracing their linage to these teams.

The sculpture was designed by CPT Joseph Ivanov, a U.S. Army Green Beret and produced by Stephen Spears, who has produced a number of prominent military sculptures in the Normandy Region. The monument was cast in Loveland, Colorado, with support from Art Castings of Colorado. In attendance at the ceremony were family members of resistance fighters as well as a surviving resistance fighter.

*At the time of publication it was said that the sculpture was designed by Stephen Spears. The sculpture was designed by CPT Ivanov*
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• Date Taken: 06.06.2021
• Date Posted: 06.06.2021 20:34
• Story ID: 398248
• Location: ST. MARIE DU MONT, FR