Big Red One Soldiers Walk in the Footsteps of D-Day Heroes in Normandy

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — 82 years after the D-Day invasion changed the course of World War II, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Infantry Division returned to Normandy to study the battlefield, honor those who fought there, and reflect on the legacy they inherited.

Throughout the week, Big Red One Soldiers toured Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery, and other historic sites where 1st Infantry Division Soldiers stood on June 6, 1944.

For many Soldiers, the experience transformed history from something read in a book into something they could see and feel firsthand.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Paul Herbert, former executive director of the First Division Museum, guided Soldiers across several of the battlefield sites while sharing stories about the division’s role in the invasion.

“The division succeeded because of leadership and training,” Herbert said. “What made the difference was experienced leadership and intense, focused training.”

The 1st Infantry Division was the first unit to land on Omaha Beach during Operation Overlord. Before reaching shore, Soldiers endured rough seas, enemy artillery, and machine gun fire while packed into landing craft crossing the English Channel. Many landed far from their assigned locations, forcing small groups of Soldiers to adapt and fight through confusion and heavy casualties.

Despite the chaos, Soldiers from the Big Red One pushed inland, climbed the bluffs overlooking Omaha Beach, and helped secure the Allied foothold in Normandy.

After breaking through the bluffs above Omaha Beach, scattered groups of Big Red One Soldiers fought through German strongpoints and pushed inland toward Colleville-sur-Mer. Moving through the thick Norman hedgerows, Soldiers adapted to confusion and heavy resistance as they continued the attack beyond the beach.

The fighting on D-Day came at a tremendous cost. As Soldiers pushed through enemy defenses and advanced inland from Omaha Beach, many paid for that success with their lives or were wounded in the effort.

Herbert said the success of the 1st Infantry Division was not accidental, but the result of years of preparation before Soldiers ever reached the beaches of Normandy.

“D-Day was not won on June 6,” Herbert said. “It was won in the months and years beforehand through training, discipline and leadership. When the moment came, those Soldiers were ready.”

During the tour, Soldiers also stopped at the 1st Infantry Division Monument, where they learned about three of the division's Medal of Honor recipients whose names are inscribed on the memorial. Among them was 1st Lt. Jimmie W. Monteith Jr., who landed with the first assault waves on Omaha Beach and repeatedly crossed open ground under heavy enemy fire to reorganize Soldiers and lead attacks inland before being killed later that day. His actions earned him the Medal of Honor posthumously.

Herbert said the names on the monument represent more than individual acts of heroism.

“When you look at those names, you're looking at Soldiers who made a decision when it mattered most,” Herbert said. “They weren't thinking about medals. They were thinking about the mission and the Soldiers beside them.”

Herbert encouraged Soldiers to think about what those men accomplished under impossible conditions.

“Monteith knew the odds, and he kept moving forward anyway,” Herbert said. “That's the kind of leadership that inspires people.”

Ret. U.S. Army Col. Keith Nightingale, a military historian and Vietnam War Veteran, challenged Soldiers to view the events of D-Day through the lens of leadership and culture.

“When you go to those beaches tomorrow, just consider what those people had to go through,” Nightingale said. “A soldier stood up and said, ‘I’m going there,’ and somebody followed him.”

Nightingale emphasized that battles are often won by junior Soldiers and noncommissioned officers who take initiative when plans break down.

“The squad is the cutting edge of the Army,” Nightingale said. “It was squads that carried those beaches.”

Maj. Gen. Monté L. Rone, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, said the division's legacy was built by Soldiers who demonstrated discipline, courage, and a willingness to sacrifice for one another.

“The 13,582 Big Red One Soldiers who gave their last full measure of devotion for our nation stood on three things: discipline, courage under fire and the will to fight and win,” Rone said.

For Soldiers attending the battlefield tours, the experience created a deeper appreciation for the Soldiers who came before them.

U.S. Army Spc. David Kosciusko, assigned to 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, attended the Normandy battlefield tours as part of the division delegation supporting D-Day commemorations. Walking the same ground where Big Red One Soldiers fought in 1944 gave him a new perspective on the division's history and the sacrifices that went into it.

“We have a legacy to uphold,” said U.S. Army Spc. David Kosciusko. “Seeing the guys who went before us and the hell they went through makes me want to double down every day to try to live up to what they did.”

As waves continued to break along Omaha Beach and visitors walked among the rows of white crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery, Soldiers reflected on the sacrifice, courage, and leadership displayed by the generation that fought there. For the Big Red One Soldiers who returned to Normandy this year, the trip served as more than a history lesson. It was a reminder that the division’s legacy was built by ordinary Soldiers who faced extraordinary circumstances and refused to quit.

“Understand what happened here and never forget it,” Herbert said. “Use it as an example in your own military career.”