The beam is from Marmion Farm in Ravenoville, Normandy, France, which was strategically located between the seaborne landing area of Utah Beach and the drop zones of the 101st Airborne Division. It is from a building constructed in 1787.  The beam is from an axe cut, hand hewn elm tree. Special thanks to Veterans Chris Kelley and Christian Knutzen for spearheading this endeavor to bring this exciting piece of history to the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, Georgia.

In the spring of 1944, the village of Ravenoville was occupied by the 4th company of the Oberleutnant Werner belonging to the Grenadier-Regiment 919 (709. Infanterie-Division). The commune is situated to the north of the head of the bridge that the Allies want to install in the Cotentin on D-Day. Although Ravenoville is more than three kilometers north of US-designated « A » drop zone for the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, several sticks of this regiment landed in the immediate vicinity of the village in the early hours of June 6, 1944. They were victims of navigational errors by pilots who are hampered by the firing of German antiaircraft artillery.

On the night and morning of June 6th, Major John P. Stopka gathered scattered paratroopers near Ravenoville and led an attack on Marmion Farm, a German stronghold at a key crossroads. They killed six enemy soldiers, captured 24, and occupied the buildings, reinforcing their position with more lost paratroopers from various units. Despite several German counterattacks, the group held out until retreating toward Sainte-Marie-du-Mont the next day.

Now a beam that stood over the heads of paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa sits in the Currahee Military Museum. It is a good time to visit both our Georgia WWII Heritage Trail Partners in Toccoa. Will we see you in Toccoa?