On June 6, 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy in the most massive invasion attempt in history, and by nightfall they had liberated 80 miles of French soil and established a toehold for the drive into Germany. Although the invasion succeeded, it came with supreme sacrifice, with over 10,000 casualties suffered that day. Fort Richie was a fitting place to honor this historic turning point because many members of the 29th Infantry Division trained there before the division was activated and sent to Europe, where they were among the first to land at Normandy. Soil from the beaches and cliffs of Normandy symbolized the joining of the armed forces of two great continents, and the remembrance of those sacrifices as part of a shared heritage.