The Battle For Normandy Update - June 11

Normandy: June 11, 1944

Our Normandy campaign continues as we are on the sixth day of the invasion, with nearly two and a half months of real time logged.  The weather has held up for the most part, giving the Allies time to make some significant gains in select sectors.  German resistance grows along the bocage line.

British and Canadian Front

The British thrust lead by the Desert Rats push through Bayeux toward Caumont. The Canadians and British 3rd Infantry screen Caen, waiting for their opportunity.

American Zone: Omaha 

The Big Red One finishes off a large pocket of the German 352nd who held out at Trevieres for seven days.  U.S. 28th Infantry push on toward St. Lo, but have not linked up with Utah yet.  Strong German lines hold the Douve and Taute Rivers.

American Zone: Utah

The U.S. Airborne forces have remained static against strong German defenses while the 90th Infantry have pushed through on the coast to the north in a mad dash to reach Cherbourg.

Town of Maine Cemetery - Civil War Memorial

Location: Park Ridge, Illinois

Features:  Scenic cemetery with memorial statue and historic headstones.

History:  Town of Maine Cemetery is a small local burial site located in Park Ridge. It has served Chicago's northwest neighborhoods since at least 1822.  The cemetery has a reputation for containing very personalized and colorful memorials and markers.  Located within is a Grand Army of the Republic statue honoring those local soldiers who served in the American Civil War.  Their headstones are arrayed in a circle around the monument.

Traveler's Notes:  The Maine Cemetery Civil War monument has the honor of being the closest historical marker to my own front door, roughly a half a mile.  It took me several years of living in Park Ridge before I even knew it was there, walking nearby almost every day.  This is exactly the sort of coincidence that inspired my to start this blog.  You can find history right in your own backyard!

The Park Ridge Historical Society will be hosting a "Spirits of Old Park Ridge" tour day of the Town of Maine Cemetery on October 4, 2014.  Guides and reenactors will tell the story of individuals who have contributed to Park Ridge history and are laid to rest in the cemetery.

Resources: Park Ridge Historical Society; Chicago Tribune Visits Town of Maine Cemetery