Important Dates
Below is a selection of important dates for the course. A full set of courses can be found in the Home Page, under Reading Materials and Travel Plans.
- June 20, 2023: Arrival in Washington D.C.
- June 21, 2023: Welcome Dinner in Washington D.C.
- June 25, 2023: Depart for France
- July 2, 2023: Return to Washington via Washington Dulles International Airport
Activities in Washington DC
Before traveling to France, members will travel to the George Washington University in Washington D.C. to participate in lectures, visit sites, and conduct further research. These lectures, delivered by GWU professors as well as other related specialists, cover a wide variety of topics, such as the Home Front, African-American soldiers, the NSDAP, and Occupied France, to name just a few.
National Archives Research
Throughout the program, teams will work with Institute personnel to find relevant information in the US National Archives facilities here in Washington D.C. as well as to examine maps, documents, and other artifacts to help get a deeper understanding of their projects.
Museum Visits
While in D.C., members will visit several museums related to both World War II and D-Day, such as the Smithsonian's Price of Freedom Exhibit, the Museum of the United States Army, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Other Site Visits
Washington D.C. is a big place, and there is no way we can take you to every place we would like to in just a week. However, there are a few other sites that we believe are particularly important. These sites include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (where members will lay a wreath,) the World War II Memorial, the Marine Barracks for a Twilight Tattoo, and the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection.
Some of the Places Where History Was Made
(And You Will See)
|
|
|
Pegasus Bridge
Just after midnight on June 6, 1944, three British gliders from the 6th Airborne Division landed under the cover of darkness and captured a critical bridge over the Orne River and Caen Canal, firing the first shots of Operation Overlord. They held the bridge all night, holding off heavy assaults until they were relieved the next morning. Longues-Sur-Mer Batterie
While the Atlantic Wall was broken in a day, many remnants of it still dot the Norman coast. Longues-Sur-Mer holds many such remnants: four concrete casemates protecting rusted 152-mm naval guns, a command post, and multiple pillboxes. Sainte Mere Eglise
During the paratrooper assault on D-Day, the 82nd Airborne was tasked with taking this strategically important town. Unfortunately, in the mass confusion in the early morning hours, much of the 82nd was dropped right on the town, resulting in heavy casualties. One of the most unique monuments to the fallen is in Sainte Mere Eglise today: a (dummy) paratrooper hanging from the church steeple. Arromanches Harbor and Gold Beach
After the landings, the titanic task of keeping Allied forces supplied through the larger campaign required a port, and Cherbourg to the north was heavily damaged. In response, the Allies created fake harbors, known as "Mulberry"s that could match the capacities of the docks at Dover. Arromanches was the site of the British harbor. Unfortunately for the Americans, their harbor at Omaha Beach was destroyed by a storm in late June 1944. Vierville Draw, Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach has become etched in the collective memory of American history for its brutality, but nowhere was the fighting as bloody as it was at Vierville Draw, also known as Dog Green Sector. As one of the few places where American forces could exit the beaches, it was heavily defended by German troops, and many Americans died trying to get off the beach. If this area still does not ring a bell, this was the infamous opening scene in Saving Private Ryan (1998). Utah Beach
One of two American coastal zones of operation, Utah Beach saw the landing of the American 4th (led by Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr.) and 90th Infantry Divisions. Despite landing almost a mile off-course, the landing was a critical success. Juno Beach and Canada House
Canadian forces landed at Juno Beach at 7:35 on June 6th, near the village of Bernieres-sur-Mer. Despite opposition, the landing was a success, and Canadian forces were able to secure a house that has become so famous that it is known simply as "La Maison des Canadiens," or Canada House. This house was one of the first French houses liberated by Allied forces in the Normandy Campaign. Pointe du Hoc
Situated between Omaha and Utah Beach, this heavily fortified German artillery position had a clear view of both beaches. It was so important that Allied bombers were instructed that if they could not drop their payloads on their targets, they were to drop them on Pointe du Hoc instead. On D-Day, US Army Rangers scaled the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc and captured the position despite heavy resistance. They then learned that the artillery that they had been sent to destroy had been moved. La Fiere Bridge
While this little bridge may seem nondescript, it was a critical communications route close to Utah Beach. La Fiere was so heavily contested between German forces and the 82nd Airborne Division that it had some of the deadliest small-unit combat of the Western Front. Abbaye d'Ardenne
This is another site etched into Canadian military history, but not for the same reasons as Canada House. This was the site of the massacre of twenty Canadian prisoners by the infamous 12th SS Panzer Division, known as the Hitlerjugend. This unit, originally called the Baby Legion by the Wehrmacht due to most recruits being drawn from the Hitler Youth, soon earned a much more sinister moniker: The Murder Legion. |
|
