WWII Mighty Eighth Airmen memorialized in European sculpture

U.S. Air Force Airmen and Allied troops look at the newly unveiled 8th Air Force memorial at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Normandy, France, June 5, 2025. The 8th Air Force members that were immortalized in the memorial are – Staff Sgt. Maynard “Snuffy” Smith, Gen. James Doolittle, Col. Donald J.M. Blakselee and Lt. Col. Robert Rosenthal of the “Mighty Eighth” that flew more than 2,300 sorties on D-Day and suffered more than 47,000 casualties, including some 26,000 deaths, during World War II. U.S. military personnel are in France to mark the 81st anniversary of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. More than 80 commemorative events take place from June 3 to 8 across approximately 40 communities in the Normandy region, including a bilateral ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 6 and an airborne operation on June 8.(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Reece Heck)