Mary and Paratroopers

The church in the village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise is famous for the story of a paratrooper whose parachute snagged on one of the church towers and who hung there for several hours before being taken prisoner. This window in the church commemorates the arrival of the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne, who liberated the village, the first French village to be liberated. The inscription at the bottom of the window reads: ""This stained glass was completed with the participation of Paul Renaud and Sainte Mere, for the memory of those who, with their courage and sacrifice, liberated Sainte Mere Eglise and France." Paul Renaud was a fourteen year old boy on June 6, 1944.