The Leopoldville had left Southampton that morning at around 9:15 a.m. to transport these troops to Normandy to reinforce the forces present for the decisive Battle of the Bulge. Unfortunately, her route was cut short just 9 km from Cherbourg.
This tragedy claimed 763 victims, including 493 bodies never recovered, not to mention those who escaped and carried the trauma for the rest of their lives.
No monument exists in Normandy or France to honor these victims, or their comrades-in-arms who survived, or even the men of the 66th Infantry Division.
The Association MEMOIRE & DATABASE, after carrying out and publishing the French translation of former New York City police officer Allan Andrade's book, Leopoldville: A tragedy too long secret, originally published in 1997, wanted to go further.
That's why we are asking you today to help us set up this monument in Cherbourg, on the pier facing the sea. We have the backing of the various authorities and have sourced a stonemason.
The monument will be inaugurated on May 6, 2025, in the presence of families of the victims, members of the Panther Veteran Organization, which also supports us.
To complete this project, which is so dear to us all, we need to raise 25,000 euros. There is no such thing as a small donation: every euro counts in remembering these young souls, lost too soon.
We would like to thank you in advance for your contribution
To help us, you can click on the Helloasso link here:
To help us, you can click on the Gofundme link here:
Photo montage including the future monument on the right. The one in honor of the fishermen is already installed on the left.
Presse de la Manche of 03/10/2024 |
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The association met on June 19, 2024, the twinning between Deauville and Lexington Sister Cities.The children worked on portraits of soldiers from Kentucky.
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En route vers le JOUR J et retour au bercailpar Bob BEARDEN (Traduction de Nathalie Varnière) |
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The Bearden family, the associations "US Memory and Gratitude" and "Memory and Datbase" offer you the translation of Bob Bearden’s book. | ||||||||
The Bearden family discovered the book offered by the two associations. | ||||||||
Léopoldville :Une tragédie trop longtemps secrète
The publication of Allan Andrade's indispensable book Leopoldville : A Tragedy Too Long Secret in French is imminent.The members of Mémoire & Database association were deeply moved by the tragedy that claimed the lives of 763 young men of the 66th 'Panther' Infantry Division on the evening of 24 December 1944 off the coast of Cherbourg.We wanted to share with as many people as possible this poignant account of a tragedy that had been kept secret for too long, and which required years of research by the author.We owe it to the men of the 66th 'Panther' Infantry Division and their families.Come and share the emotions induced by this tragedy and tell others about it so that their memory lives on. |
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Who were they??Portraits - Volume 1
An improved version of Volume 1, featuring some forty bilingual portraits of American soldiers who died on French soil fighting for our freedom, is about to be reissued.
You will soon be able to buy it in the shop on the association's website:https://www.database-memoire.eu/bouticshop/en/
Discovering the path of these young men and women who sacrificed everything for us will help keep their memory alive. |
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The members of the Mémoire & Database association are saddened to learn of the passing of Vincent J. SPERANZA, veteran of the 101st AB, 501st PIR, who had fought at Bastogne.
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We will never forget you. |
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Meeting with Major William CARRAWAY, historian of the National Guard of Georgia and Major NICHOLS. |
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Sunday, July 16, 2023, Brittany American Cemetery.48th Inf Bde Georgia Army National Guard |
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We had the great honour of meeting Major William CARRAWAY, commanding officer of the 161st Military History Detachment of the Georgia Army National Guard, and Major Daniel NICHOLS, programme manager of the National Guard. After a historic tour passing through Utah Beach, La Haye-du-Puits, Normandy American Cemetery, Saint-Malo, Dinard, Saint-Briac, Brest, Crozon, Saint-James, Mortain and Saint-Lô, they came to pay their respects at three graves of soldiers from the State of Georgia, more precisely from the 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division: Pfc. William GREY, Pvt. Elbert GRIFFIN and Pvt. John TAGGART, as well as Pfc. Ernest PRUSSMAN of the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division.
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79th Anniversary of D-Day - 2023 |
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Reunion with Vince J. SPERANZA
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Source : M&D |
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The association offered the Chief of Staff of the United States Armies, General Mark A. MILLEY, a copy
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Source : Thierry Leleu |
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Source : M&D |
The association was present at the Book Salon at Tilly sur Seulles, organised by Tilly 1944, a big thank
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Mémorial Day 2023 |
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The association participated in the 100th Anniversary of the ABMC on March 4, 2023. |
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Placing candles on all the crosses with the staff of the Colleville/Mer cemetery |
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Source : Thomas Bernard |
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Thanks to the work done by Maximilien, member of the portrait creators team on our site, the "US Normandie" and "Mémoire & Database" associations were able to welcome, during the the weekendof September 10-11, 2022, La Rae Muller, daughter of Sanford M FRANK of company C of the 507 PIR - 82nd Airborne who died on June 12, 1944 at La Fière. |
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Visit of La Fière guided by Eric LABOURDETTE (President of the US Normandy association) |
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A new logo designed by Romain |
Vincent J. Speranza's biography, "Nuts!", still available in our store |
Cérémonie au Cimetière Normandy de Colleville/Mer.2nd Lieutenant William J. McGowan, Second World War pilot, laid to rest at Normandy American Cemetery.An aviator in the U.S. Army Air Forces, he was buried at the Normandy American Cemetery, almost 80 years after being killed during operations in France during the Second World War. |
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The association was invited to this ceremony and was able to lay a wreath.
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Private signing session with Vince in Carentan during the 78th. |
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4th June 2022- Sainte-Mère-EgliseSigning session of Vincent J. SPERANZA's biography, NUTS!, inEnglish or in French, in collaboration with Marion van Hellemond and Marco Kilian.The members of the association Mémoire & Database,publisher of the French version, were present: Fredo Lav, ourpresident who did the page layout - Romain Vattier whoworked on the cover and Nathalie Varniere who translatedVincent's biography.Source : Romain Vattier |
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The site will evolve, thanks to the work of our webmaster Renaud |
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The associations Amitié Franco-Américaine Men of D-Day and Mémoire & Database are proud to present you Vincent J. Speranza's acclaimed biography, NUTS!, translated in French for the first time.
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Vince Speranza gives us an incredibly honest and compelling account of what happened to (with - and to -) this mix of fresh-faced kids and grizzled veterans, when all hell broke loose and the snow turned red, during those days that went down in American history.Fred Thompson, former senator and presidential candidate On December 22, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, as the Germans surrounded the Belgian town of Bastogne, a German messenger brought a message from his commander to General Anthony McAuliffe, commander of acting of the 101st Airborne Division, demanding its surrender.McAuliffe's response was quite simply, “NUTS! Holding a manhole in the perimeter around Bastogne was 19-year-old soldier Vince Speranza, a machine gunner with the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.This is Vince’s story of the Battle of the Bulge, but also his life before and after the fighting.Vince shares his childhood memories, his service in WWII and his life thereafter to today as he approaches 90 - a story you will remember for a long time.Vince went to Bastogne to see his manhole on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, drank Airborne beer, inspired by his actions decades before. |
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Buy the book |
Hello
You will find below the number of portraits per American cemetery that we have registered in the database in English:
Colleville/mer cemetery | St James cemetery | Rhone cemetery | ||
2205 |
1086 |
178 |
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and in French | ||||
Colleville/mer cemetery 2234 |
St James cemetery 1097 |
Rhone cemetery 188 |
And 290 archived records (Old site)
History with a capital H does not read like a novel. It was not written by a single person, but by a multitude of actors, each at his or her own level contributing to the edifice.
The Mémoire & Database website aims to honour these men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice by offering their lives for our freedom.
History may represent the past, but that past has determined who we are today.
Let us never forget that if we are able to enjoy this magnificent wealth of FREEDOM today, it is largely thanks to them.
Our aim in creating this site is to tell their story and to try to give a face to those who lie beneath the crosses or are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing in Normandy's American cemeteries.
They were sons, fathers, husbands, fiancés, far from their native land, and they never returned.
Sometimes we are lucky enough to meet their families. Each time, it is a very special experience.
Through our portraits, we hope that visitors to these cemeteries will feel that these heroes are familiar to them.
Our aim is to never forget them.
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Visit the site regularly to see the latest entries.
New soldiers are added to the base almost daily.
Thank you in advance