Reflections
29th Infantry Division
“Omaha Beach, however, was a nightmare. Even now it brings pain to recall what happened there on June 6, 1944. I have returned many times to honor the valiant men who died on that beach. They should never be forgotten, nor should those who lived to carry the day by the slimmest of margins. Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero.
By nightfall, the situation had swung in our favor. Personal heroism and the U.S. Navy had carried the day. We had by then landed close to 35,000 men and held a sliver of corpse littered beach five miles long and about 1 ½ miles deep. To wrest that sliver from the enemy cost us possibly 2,500 casualties.
-From “A General’s Life by Omar N. Bradley, General CMDG U.S. Troops, “D” Day.
“Our country…will never forget the heroism of those soldiers on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. That was the fateful day of the war. On the fortunes of that landing on the Normandy Coast hung success or failure in the war against Germany. The troops met the test. The landing was made good, the beach taken, the cliff stormed, the fame of the 29th Infantry Division….handed down to history. Their record in the St. Lo Drive, in the break through France, and in the heavy fighting that fall and winter gave further proof of the soldiering valor. They could always be counted
this page online
Robert P. Patterson, WWI Volunteer, Infantry Major, D.S.C.& Silver Star 1918, France. Federal Dist. & Circuit Judge (N.Y.) Asst Sec’y of War 1940-41, Deputy Sec’y 1941-45, Sec’y of War 1945-47.
Remember the 29th Division and the splendid contribution it has made to the present victory. You men be proud. Flaunt your, Blue and Gray-The insignia which by your own deeds has become a new symbol of courage in war.
Charles H. Gerhardt, Major General, Commanding 29th Infantry Division after victory in Europe, May 1945.
Erected 1984 by Maryland National Guard Historical Society.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: War, World I • War, World II.
Location. 39° 18.241′ N, 76° 37.309′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Madison Park. Memorial is on Dolphin Street. The marker is on the grounds of the 5th Regiment Armory. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Baltimore MD 21201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 29th Division Association (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Neighbors and Natives (about 400 feet away); Mount Vernon Cultural District (about 400 feet away); Pearlstone Park / Scott Burton (about 600 feet away); Hugh Lennox Bond
Credits. This page was last revised on April 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2017, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 391 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 22, 2017, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
