Sainte-Mère-Église: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Sainte-Mère-Église is a small town near the coast of Normandy, France.

The town's main claim to fame is that it played a signficant part in the World War II Normandy landings. In the early morning of 6 June 1944 elements of the US 82nd Airborne Division occupied the town, giving it the claim to being the first town liberated by the Allies. The town was the scene of a famous incident where American paratrooper John Steele had his parachute caught on the spire of the church, and had to observe the fighting going on below for possession of the town before the Americans prevailed and he could be rescued. The incident was portrayed in the movie The Longest Day.

Modern day Sainte-Mère-Église trades heavily on its invasion history. There are many small museums and World War II related gift shops and eating places. A dummy paratrooper hangs from the church spire, commemorating the story of John Steele.