To mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, objects from our World War II collections were put on view in the 3 East Gateway. Featured objects included a rare and authentic marble grave marker of the type used in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France; one of two existing grappling hooks use by Army Rangers at Point du Hoc in Normandy; identification tags; photographs; a canteen; and spent .50-caliber machine gun casings recovered from Utah Beach. The display documented the tremendous human cost of D-Day and told the story of this first invasion of the Battle of Normandy which ultimately liberated Western Europe from Nazi control.
Letter to troops, June 6, 1944
Printed letter to troops from Dwight Eisenhower