If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!
The statue by the altar is the funerary statue of Henri-Robert Aux-Épaules, who was the lord of the area when he died in 1607. Apparently the statue was part of his funerary monument, which was partially destroyed during the French Revolution, and then placed in the church during the 19th century.
@The History Underground Do you guys have a video on the dday company A 505th parachute infantry regiment 82nd airborne division and their stand at la fière also do you know about a photo with three paratroopers and a sign with the letters censored on it, it also has some kind of building on the left side and there are some trees on the right side of the photo I’m interested in where this photo was taken I found it in a magazine called wwii history , the magazine is from October 2021 the front cover on the magazine shows a paratrooper with a Thompson m1a1 over his shoulder climbing into the plane he was getting into
I have just found these videos. We used to visit Normandy regularly and these videos bring back fond memories. They are very informative and interesting, but please remember where you are and remove your cap/hat when entering a church!
JD... Again you have taken your viewers on another realistic adventure of the Normandy invasion. PBS television has done many series on this invasion. Yours is so much more realistic. For that I thank you. The heroism of the soldiers that freed the world of Nazi tyranny has been preserved by your vlogs. Again thank you.
in 2004 my alone visit of Normandy, in Sainte Marie Dumont, there was a lot of people for official ceremony ( it was 60th birthday ) and what a surprise, two British journalist were with 2 germans veterans, one of them was the german parachutist hidden in the church tower to survey allied advance on this morning of 6th june.......my friend and me were really impressioned by this veteran, and we have trouble the interview due to our big interest ! good souvenir....remember.....and thanks fo sharing : )
Great video. My late uncle Joe fought in Europe during WW2 as a tank driver. He saw the destruction and chaos that war causes so he only saw the "ugliness man can cause". Sadly he never had a chance to return to Normandy for he passed away before he could go. But I'm sure he would be happy knowing that the ugliness of war he saw had long since passed and the peace and beauty had returned.
Yet another fascinating trip through a poignant moment in history. Thank you JD for taking us along on your journeys and allowing us to be a part of your discoveries.
This is another incredible episode. For me to see in detail of the war damaged buildings and knowing that 4 of my great-uncles fought here created a very emotional stirring in my soul. With the grace of God all 4 brothers returned home after the war.
When you were at the Gettysburg museum looking at D-Day artifacts, I shared in your awe of history-in-your-hands. Already having watched the previous series of your D-Day sites trip, I sit in amazement at the the places this trip has brought you to,and can only imagine the deep awe you felt at standing in those places and the keen sense of History! I really need to get over there, not only for WWII history but for the thousands of years of history that yet lives on there…
Love this little town been there many times with my family, I just love Normandy the people are wonderful.My uncle was was a British paratrooper fighting at Ranville near Pegasus bridge on D Day.In August his best friend was killed by a German sniper at a town call Putot-en-Auge and is buried in the church yard with many of his fellow paratrooper's.🇬🇧🇺🇸🇨🇦🇨🇵
Started watching this channel about a year and a half ago, and to see how far you've come now in your TH-cam success is awesome, man. I've never wanted a channel to succeed more on this platform. What you're doing is so extremely vital to the preservation of the worlds history. Awesome job, JD. And at some point, I highly recommend that you visit my little area of East Tennessee. Lots of beautiful sights and amazing history in our old coal mining towns and mountains.
Probably my favorite series of videos on the subject that I have witnessed. You just being there and sharing the images and narrating the stories does a wonderful job at portraying the history of these places. It’s an awesome tribute to those who paid the ultimate price to make these places free from tyranny. Thank you very much!
Wow - just wow. The church tour was - there are no words. All this history just comes alive. The last picture - of the First Mass in the church after D-Day showing all the soldiers kneeling and heads bowed - brought tears. So much destruction yet moments of peace and calm. The bullet holes in the confessional - were left. This is why history should never be destroyed or hidden or patched up. It teaches us to remember, to never let this happen again. Yet here in the US, our short history, because of what some don’t like, is removed, defaced or torn down. We never learn do we?
I sound like a broken record. But you’re not only keeping history alive, but you’re also keeping the human side of war alive, if that makes any sense. Love the sites, stories and matching up the old photos…. Great job. Thank you
Ditto this. The history comes alive and is just surreal. Hard to describe. The feelings are really strong just seeing this. I cannot imagine being there and in the footsteps of our hero’s. Many in that last church photo - sadly - did not make it back home alive. But so glad they found peace and calm in that Mass. Just for a little while.
Again JD. I'm blown away by the mere production quality of these presentations. You have an eye and a sense of the beautiful that comes naturally. Not to mention that, on more than a few occasions, I found my self unexpectedly busting out in tears. Very well done sir.
I worked for a French company for 15+ years and had the opportunity to visit Normandy. As an American, when we think about historical structures like Thomas Jefferson's home and how it pales in comparison to those structures in Europe e.g., France. This particular church was built in 1679, 100 years before the founding of America. I'm just blown away by the history and the beautiful places that remain in Europe. I don't expect our structures to be standing through the centuries like those in Europe. It was such a privilege I had to visit the area and truly enjoying your video. Merci Beaucoup!
As a young general contractor I find that church absolutely fascinating and could spend hours just in the attic. The mid evil architecture and ww2 history colliding is SO COOL
Another great episode. To see the church still standing in great shape after almost 1000 years tells many stories of our "Modern Architecture". I'm not a church going person, but to see the soldiers going to mass after freedom had been restored is a moving picture. This whole series is amazing.
JD, Erik and Charles, again you amaze. You three really put the "forget' into "Never Forget." Keeping the story alive for this latest generation is so important so they learn that freedom isn't free. It was fought for and needs constant defending or it will be lost. Going to the top of the church tower was really over the top.... Thanks to the three of you for your work.....
As someone who doesn’t comment I am compelled to do so. I am big in history and from someone who may not ever get to see this in person your videos are simply amazing. I thought the Gettysburg series was great but you have outdone yourself with these.
Church is 1100+ years old. That alone amazes me about this video. And the savagery of fighting IN THE CHURCH and around it. Thanks again for taking me where I’d never be able to go.
The access you are getting is second to none. Major television corporations, nor Hollywood have been able to show as much detail as you. Another Fantastic vid. I think you should just move to France and keep going.
JD, this series is absolutely awesome! My Dad served in the 101st Airborne in the early 60's, and our ancestors on his side of the family emigrated to North America from Normandy in the 1630's, so this has always been on my list of places I need to get to! Thanks for bringing a bit of it to us! Keep up the great work!
No doubt a beautiful place and no question how beautiful the country of France is in general no doubt before the war and even now many years later to the ladies and gentlemen of France I admire your spirit and your will to come back form something like the wars and everything before and there after and still be as breathtaking to this very day from one one country to another I say god bless you and vive la France
J D you have a natural talent for doing what you're doing! Your sense of amazement and wonder makes your videos so much better! I don't think I've seen any if your videos that I didn't like! My 97 year old dad is a ww2 vet and as a small child I used to watch THE WORLD AT WAR AND VICTORY AT SEA episodes! I always had an amazement and fascination with ww2! The manpower and logistics it took to build the factories for war materials and to get the material to the theater of fighting was unprecedented in it time and hasn't been seen since! I've read 100s of books on the topic and never pass up a chance to talk to a vet!! Thank you for your work, I know it's a labor of love!
@The History Underground he had a knee injury at 12 years old! The army discovered it in trying camp ad was gonna send him home! He told them the war wasn't over and he wanted to do his part! So they operated on his knee and he served in long Beach California at the Port of embarkation! He was a projectionist, he ran motion pictures for troops for propaganda and entertainment prior to embarking to the pacific!!
Thank you for another amazing video! :) I've been wanting to visit Normandy for years and watching these videos has only made me want to go that much more
Wonderful Video! Enjoyed the tower excursion and hearing the fear in your voice at that height, also would not have been complete without that head bump! Lol. The view from up there was outstanding! So nice of them to allow you to see and film. 🙏 to all those civilian and soldier (both sides) who perished that day and for their families.
JD... @15:29... Thank you for bumping your head so we don't have to. Seriously... the kudos to the architects and engineers who built those staircases that have lasted almost 1000 years. Keep up the great work, these videos are awesome!
Normandy is such an amazing place, the history lives in everything you can see and still touch in many cases It takes some time and research to orientate some of it so you recognise the relevance of some of the less well known but equally just as interesting I have been 7 times but still never seen it all This series has been absolutely superb, the passion and the artefacts and personal stories are superb to hear The cinematography is also superb Well done to all involved and to the French people who give up their time and efforts to keep it all preserved Tres bien 👏🏻
How many people watching said to themselves "mind your head" as you started on those stairs? You didn't let us down! Yet another enjoyable respectful historic video. School leaders should use these videos as they are both full of valuable for educational purposes as well us other people with an interest in history. Excellent work
JD, you never cease to amaze. Your work and stories just get better and better. What a fascinating trip this has been. As a side note, it would not be a JD video without you bonking your head :)
Outstanding episode! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us on the little known stories and sites of WWII. Especially love the personal stories of the residents and the soldiers. Gone but not forgotten!
Those personal bits of history that your hosts are pointing out make the events there seem so small. It distills it down to these intimate vignettes. Outstanding. Beg pardon I know this is of topic , If I could I would like to ask everyone to wish Fighter Ace Colonel Bud Anderson a happy 100th birthday. We have so few hero's left from those times. A toast to him. Thanks very much
Oh the lengths you go to so that we may experience, though not unfortunately in person, the most moving places of such an epic and horrific importance to not just Americans, but the entire world! Thank you JD….more grateful than I can put into words!
Very touching to watch you walk in the same spaces as our heros of WW2. I have been watching from the beginning and have learned so much about the war with your travels. I was a fan of Civil War research but now I'm becoming really interested in the struggles of the 2nd World War.........thanks, in large part to you! Thank you.
These series of videos have been brilliant. I love it when another one appears on YT. Thank you. I live in England and it is on my bucket list to follow in Easy Company’s footsteps across Europe one day. In the meantime I can live it vicariously through you and learn so much along the way. Keep them coming please!
Thanks for the clear backstory of St. Marie du Mont. I am Dutch myself and live in the north of France, nice to hear your comments about the old buildings. Very normal for us :). We live in a house build in 1785, during the restoration of the roof I found a piece shrapnel in the top beam. It probably ended up there in the 1st world war.
You have totally outdone yourself J.D on this little revisit to Normandy! To see the French people hold onto all the German items left behind after the 4 years of occupation. Thankfully they preserved the items of hate the Germans had left, after all that happened here. Especially the artwork inside the house was stunning J.D trying to make the place homely from home. Or did some German know this would be important? One will never know?
@@TheHistoryUnderground It’s knowing what physically happened there and you got to touch and walk in the areas were hate fear and survival weee pretty low numbers. Great work I’ve got to say again J.D. slick and informative.
I never never never never never never never never never never ever ever ever ever ever ever want these to end. Good job mate! These videos are amazing!
Thank you For sharing the stories that aren’t told in history books or on a movie screen. We often forget that Individual people fought and sadly died. Too often the names of those that made up the greatest military operation are never known. My Uncles fought for freedom in Germany and later in France. I am a huge student of history dating back to grade school. Love your approach and the respect you show. Thank you!
Thank you for producing such a wonderful series of documentaries about the Normandy Campaign. I have read all the books and watched many videos for nearly 60 years about this subject. Yours is the most insightful and I appreciate the care and respect you pay to the places and memories of those who fought and died in that campaign. God bless you.
What a beautiful church. What a great episode. Amazing the story behind the church. The hike up the tower was something to behold, along with the view.
Oh my goodness!!!! I’m running out of adjectives and verbs to describe your videos. WOW! 😯 Incredible! Again, Thank you for taking us along! It’s been incredible! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This was wonderful. Everyone needs to know about Normandy and the courage of the Allies as they fought against the Axis powers. We should remember that many if not most of the Germans were also wishing they weren't there. If only the German people spoke out against their despot before he claimed power, this would not have happened. As you made the scary climb up the tower, I'm sure you were stepping in the 1000 years of shadows of those who used that height to try to protect their town. Thank you for this.
An absolutely great video! Sadly, most of the veterans of D Day, and of the airborne division, are gone now.I’m looking forward to more of your videos that document this grand effort by the allies.I thoroughly enjoy your TH-cam channel.
Freaking cool!!!!! Totally amazing. I’m not scared of much, but heights like that are a little uncomfortable. Thanks for banging your head again for great content
My Dad was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne division during the D-Day assault. He was in Company G of the 508th PIR. I have his enlistment and discharge papers. He reportedly jumped on D-Day, I'm trying to find more information as to where and what this unit encountered that day. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I lost my Dad when I was just 7yo. I missed out on the stories of my Dad's life that my much older brothers were afforded.
This is truly fantastic content, presented with the grace, dignity and respect it demands and deserves. Ironically, the more minutia you present in your recounted stories, highlighting the events and deeds of individuals, the more interesting it is, as it really reinforces the personal sacrifices and impact of tyranny, whether on soldiers or civilians. After all, they are just people like you and I, so we can relate as people, but are awestruck by their bravery and sacrifice. As you said, these stories are examples of average people like you and I, thrust into extraordinary circumstances and forced to do extraordinary things as a matter of survival. This is a fantastic series! Please keep them coming!
Completely in awe of this beautiful church. I am grateful for your ability to climb snd share with all of us. I must admit parts of the video gave me motion sickness. I do not handle heights well! The view was worth it. Thankful for others that saw fit to save the items left behind! The stories of the local folks bring history to life. Such beautiful people
It's sad to see so few subscribers for such excellent content. So many people just don't care about history anymore, or at least they don't want to think about it. I couldn't imagine getting to experience this.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I'm just saying if they don't, don't take it personally, because you're doing excellent work. It's hard to "sell" history when most people don't even think about their own history.
This episode was totally awesome!! Thank you so much for showing us all of this! This is all so important to remembering our history! My grandfather was part of the 101st in WW2 and I’m kinda following some of what he did in watching your video’s about D-day. This is an excellent series and your showing sites and telling personal stories that I’ve never seen on any other programming ever! You do excellent work!! Thank you again and keep up the awesome work you do!! Much appreciated!!
Ditto...that was something else...to walk in their footsteps. Another incredible tour! My Dad, 99ID 393IR, arrived on continent in 1944 and went to the Ardennes. Thank you so much.
My father in law came ashore at Utah Beach with the 1st Engineer Special Brigade 531st Shore Regiment. Norman Willard Gaither from Brunswick, Md was 30 years old on D Day. We traveled with him to Normandy for the 50th Anniversary celebration. He vividly recalled coming through Ste Marie du Mont and told us that right outside the main church there was an outdoor privy. He said that he remembered seeing a US GI standing at the privy obviously relieving himself. He was wearing a captured top hat and with a big smile was tipping it to all the passersby. He said he had not thought about that in 50 years but it popped back into his mind as soon as he saw the church! He passed away in 2010 at the ripe age of 95!
Your channel is by far the best history channel on youtube! Your level of knowledge and in depth detail is jus amazing,i only watch ww1 and ww2 history but ive learned so much about the american civil war from this channel too,keep up the great work man!
Amazing to see the structure of the Church built over a thousand years ago. How much history it has seen. It is still standing as testimony that man must overcome and struggle for truth and life.
Not just a very nice showing of a very interesting site but the climb into the church tower also gives a very nice, different, historic perspective. Very nice!
Do you know why spiral stairs in medieval towers always rotate to the right going up, to the left going down? The open space to the right going down enables a defender to wield a sword, whilst any attacker going up, impeded by the central support of the spiral, cannot wield his weapon in his right hand. p.s. the name you couldn't read at 19:34, appears to be Jochim, a version of Joachim.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I'm old enough to have known WW2 vets when they were in their prime. None of them ever talked about their time in the war. Your videos make think about those men.
The head bump is your signature JD. Very interesting church, where two medics took up the work of taking care of the wounded while fighting was going on around them.
JD, I hardly ever comment on YT videos but your channel is the best history channel on here, hands down. Been a subscriber since you were sub 50k subscribers and knew it even then. You give us content few are able to give and it's outstanding. Keep the great content coming. Loving it!
you must thank Charles for me for being such a gentleman to show you around like that and in Dutch we call it elephant backs - top of the barrel vaulting of the ceiling - love it - love it
It is amazing to see the landscape and the connection to the stories from WWII. It is especially personal to me as my family originated in Normandy and migrated to the US in the 1700’s. Also, my grandfather served in Europe during WWII. Thanks for your videos!
Another amazing walk through History. St. Marie du Mont a wonderful place of so much History. I tell you this teaming up with the Gettysburg Museum was a great move. Another great video JD!
My brother & I have visited the D Day area six times, we thought we`d seen everything there was to see, thanks to this channel there is lots more we didn`t know about that you guys have shown, we are looking forward to our next visit to France, fingers crossed in August, we have also done Bastogne & Arnhem.
This makes me miss Normandy so much. The last time my wife and I were there we ate at a little cafe' right next to the church and then bought a spent Panzer tank round at a little museum/store on the corner behind the church. It cost more to ship it back than we paid for it :-)
Another brilliant journey through history, the battle damage and the names of people long gone is just fascinating and makes me want to know more, thank you for your dedication in telling their stories
JD As you probably know from my patch logo to the left, I am a long time subscriber, admirer and praiser of your efforts to bring history to us. And, of course I am a frequent commentator. One little critique, please remember to take your hat off when in places of worship. Note that all the GI"s did it in the mass photo. Love your stuff.
Thanks. Appreciate that. As a personal conviction, I always take my hat off during a church service but tend to be a little more flexible at other times. No disrespect intended though.
If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out.
Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!
Done!
This is amazing!!
The statue by the altar is the funerary statue of Henri-Robert Aux-Épaules, who was the lord of the area when he died in 1607. Apparently the statue was part of his funerary monument, which was partially destroyed during the French Revolution, and then placed in the church during the 19th century.
@The History Underground Do you guys have a video on the dday company A 505th parachute infantry regiment 82nd airborne division and their stand at la fière also do you know about a photo with three paratroopers and a sign with the letters censored on it, it also has some kind of building on the left side and there are some trees on the right side of the photo I’m interested in where this photo was taken I found it in a magazine called wwii history , the magazine is from October 2021 the front cover on the magazine shows a paratrooper with a Thompson m1a1 over his shoulder climbing into the plane he was getting into
Done and done!
I have just found these videos. We used to visit Normandy regularly and these videos bring back fond memories. They are very informative and interesting, but please remember where you are and remove your cap/hat when entering a church!
JD... Again you have taken your viewers on another realistic adventure of the Normandy invasion. PBS television has done many series on this invasion. Yours is so much more realistic. For that I thank you. The heroism of the soldiers that freed the world of Nazi tyranny has been preserved by your vlogs. Again thank you.
Appreciate that!
in 2004 my alone visit of Normandy, in Sainte Marie Dumont, there was a lot of people for official ceremony ( it was 60th birthday ) and what a surprise, two British journalist were with 2 germans veterans, one of them was the german parachutist hidden in the church tower to survey allied advance on this morning of 6th june.......my friend and me were really impressioned by this veteran, and we have trouble the interview due to our big interest ! good souvenir....remember.....and thanks fo sharing : )
O my gosh, a traditional head bump and a spectacular view !!
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Great video. My late uncle Joe fought in Europe during WW2 as a tank driver. He saw the destruction and chaos that war causes so he only saw the "ugliness man can cause". Sadly he never had a chance to return to Normandy for he passed away before he could go. But I'm sure he would be happy knowing that the ugliness of war he saw had long since passed and the peace and beauty had returned.
Yet another fascinating trip through a poignant moment in history. Thank you JD for taking us along on your journeys and allowing us to be a part of your discoveries.
👍🏻
This is another incredible episode. For me to see in detail of the war damaged buildings and knowing that 4 of my great-uncles fought here created a very emotional stirring in my soul. With the grace of God all 4 brothers returned home after the war.
Thank you.
Very cool that family left the art work i love that and a big thank u to them.
Agreed.
Absolutely phenomenal. Keeping the tradition alive by bumping your head!!
When you were at the Gettysburg museum looking at D-Day artifacts, I shared in your awe of history-in-your-hands. Already having watched the previous series of your D-Day sites trip, I sit in amazement at the the places this trip has brought you to,and can only imagine the deep awe you felt at standing in those places and the keen sense of History! I really need to get over there, not only for WWII history but for the thousands of years of history that yet lives on there…
Love this little town been there many times with my family, I just love Normandy the people are wonderful.My uncle was was a British paratrooper fighting at Ranville near Pegasus bridge on D Day.In August his best friend was killed by a German sniper at a town call Putot-en-Auge and is buried in the church yard with many of his fellow paratrooper's.🇬🇧🇺🇸🇨🇦🇨🇵
What a gift for those of us who cannot go. Thank you so very much!
My pleasure! Thanks for watching.
Started watching this channel about a year and a half ago, and to see how far you've come now in your TH-cam success is awesome, man. I've never wanted a channel to succeed more on this platform. What you're doing is so extremely vital to the preservation of the worlds history. Awesome job, JD. And at some point, I highly recommend that you visit my little area of East Tennessee. Lots of beautiful sights and amazing history in our old coal mining towns and mountains.
That really means a lot. Thank you.
@@TheHistoryUnderground No sir, thank you for bringing us along on these awesome adventures! Can't wait for more!
Could not agree with that sentiment more, JD you’re doing an awesome job
Hear hear!!
As a history buff of WW2, I am loving these videos of historical places. Thanks for sharing them and keep up the great work.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Probably my favorite series of videos on the subject that I have witnessed. You just being there and sharing the images and narrating the stories does a wonderful job at portraying the history of these places. It’s an awesome tribute to those who paid the ultimate price to make these places free from tyranny. Thank you very much!
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This channel & Mark Felton are my two favourite WW2 history channels. I eagerly look forward to each episode from both of you. Thank you so much 👍
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Totally agree with that!!
My two favourite channels as well !! There are so many untold stories in history ,so much many of us do not know about .
"OH Gosh dang it, I just bumped my head" JD- it wouldn't be right if you didn't. Another outstanding episode JD. I now expect nothing less.
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Wow - just wow. The church tour was - there are no words. All this history just comes alive. The last picture - of the First Mass in the church after D-Day showing all the soldiers kneeling and heads bowed - brought tears. So much destruction yet moments of peace and calm. The bullet holes in the confessional - were left. This is why history should never be destroyed or hidden or patched up. It teaches us to remember, to never let this happen again. Yet here in the US, our short history, because of what some don’t like, is removed, defaced or torn down. We never learn do we?
I love it when you bump your head. You literally do it in all your best videos.
Man I wished I lived in Normandy, educating those on WWII over there would be my dream
Thanks Dude, great video. I'm Canadian and proud of our contributions to freedom.
I sound like a broken record. But you’re not only keeping history alive, but you’re also keeping the human side of war alive, if that makes any sense. Love the sites, stories and matching up the old photos…. Great job. Thank you
Much appreciated. Hope that the channel is doing some good in some way.
@@TheHistoryUnderground it absolutely is…..
Ditto this. The history comes alive and is just surreal. Hard to describe. The feelings are really strong just seeing this. I cannot imagine being there and in the footsteps of our hero’s. Many in that last church photo - sadly - did not make it back home alive. But so glad they found peace and calm in that Mass. Just for a little while.
Again JD. I'm blown away by the mere production quality of these presentations. You have an eye and a sense of the beautiful that comes naturally. Not to mention that, on more than a few occasions, I found my self unexpectedly busting out in tears.
Very well done sir.
Great video JD. I'm 55 years old and only just got round to watching band of brothers . Thanks to you , best wishes
Greta series. Thanks.
I worked for a French company for 15+ years and had the opportunity to visit Normandy. As an American, when we think about historical structures like Thomas Jefferson's home and how it pales in comparison to those structures in Europe e.g., France. This particular church was built in 1679, 100 years before the founding of America. I'm just blown away by the history and the beautiful places that remain in Europe. I don't expect our structures to be standing through the centuries like those in Europe. It was such a privilege I had to visit the area and truly enjoying your video. Merci Beaucoup!
It is much more older. Church was built between XI and XV century.
1679 is probably a mark made by the mason who rebuilt the arch of the door.
Wonderful that the artwork in that home has been preserved! A museum in its own right!
As a young general contractor I find that church absolutely fascinating and could spend hours just in the attic. The mid evil architecture and ww2 history colliding is SO COOL
Another great episode. To see the church still standing in great shape after almost 1000 years tells many stories of our "Modern Architecture". I'm not a church going person, but to see the soldiers going to mass after freedom had been restored is a moving picture. This whole series is amazing.
JD, Erik and Charles, again you amaze. You three really put the "forget' into "Never Forget." Keeping the story alive for this latest generation is so important so they learn that freedom isn't free. It was fought for and needs constant defending or it will be lost. Going to the top of the church tower was really over the top.... Thanks to the three of you for your work.....
As someone who doesn’t comment I am compelled to do so. I am big in history and from someone who may not ever get to see this in person your videos are simply amazing. I thought the Gettysburg series was great but you have outdone yourself with these.
Thank you. That really does mean a lot. Glad that you’re enjoying the series!
I just cannot get enough of these videos. I’ve spent the past 7 hours solid of my nightshift consuming them. Incredible work JD.
Glad you like them!
You and Eric have been providing some of the best modern insight to both the conflict and the 506th I've seen available. Thank you..
Thank you! Glad that you’re enjoying it!
Church is 1100+ years old. That alone amazes me about this video. And the savagery of fighting IN THE CHURCH and around it. Thanks again for taking me where I’d never be able to go.
The access you are getting is second to none. Major television corporations, nor Hollywood have been able to show as much detail as you.
Another Fantastic vid. I think you should just move to France and keep going.
Ha! Thank you. I’ve actually talked about how nice it would be to move over there for a month and just shoot a ton of content.
JD, this series is absolutely awesome! My Dad served in the 101st Airborne in the early 60's, and our ancestors on his side of the family emigrated to North America from Normandy in the 1630's, so this has always been on my list of places I need to get to! Thanks for bringing a bit of it to us! Keep up the great work!
Another homerun. So interesting! Them bells, them bells...
Pretty cool to see that place.
Yet another fascinating journey through history. Thank you JD for taking us with you on these adventures!
Absolutely incredible. Thanks from Canada
No doubt a beautiful place and no question how beautiful the country of France is in general no doubt before the war and even now many years later to the ladies and gentlemen of France I admire your spirit and your will to come back form something like the wars and everything before and there after and still be as breathtaking to this very day from one one country to another I say god bless you and vive la France
J D you have a natural talent for doing what you're doing! Your sense of amazement and wonder makes your videos so much better! I don't think I've seen any if your videos that I didn't like! My 97 year old dad is a ww2 vet and as a small child I used to watch THE WORLD AT WAR AND VICTORY AT SEA episodes! I always had an amazement and fascination with ww2! The manpower and logistics it took to build the factories for war materials and to get the material to the theater of fighting was unprecedented in it time and hasn't been seen since! I've read 100s of books on the topic and never pass up a chance to talk to a vet!! Thank you for your work, I know it's a labor of love!
Oh wow! Where did he serve?
@The History Underground he had a knee injury at 12 years old! The army discovered it in trying camp ad was gonna send him home! He told them the war wasn't over and he wanted to do his part! So they operated on his knee and he served in long Beach California at the Port of embarkation! He was a projectionist, he ran motion pictures for troops for propaganda and entertainment prior to embarking to the pacific!!
Thank you for another amazing video! :) I've been wanting to visit Normandy for years and watching these videos has only made me want to go that much more
My pleasure!
Wonderful Video! Enjoyed the tower excursion and hearing the fear in your voice at that height, also would not have been complete without that head bump! Lol. The view from up there was outstanding! So nice of them to allow you to see and film. 🙏 to all those civilian and soldier (both sides) who perished that day and for their families.
Glad that we were able to share the experience.
JD... @15:29... Thank you for bumping your head so we don't have to. Seriously... the kudos to the architects and engineers who built those staircases that have lasted almost 1000 years. Keep up the great work, these videos are awesome!
Thank you again for the great video. Its scary how fast this history is being forgotten. I will see it one day.
Hopefully people are sharing out these videos to help to keep it from being forgotten 🙂
Normandy is such an amazing place, the history lives in everything you can see and still touch in many cases
It takes some time and research to orientate some of it so you recognise the relevance of some of the less well known but equally just as interesting
I have been 7 times but still never seen it all
This series has been absolutely superb, the passion and the artefacts and personal stories are superb to hear
The cinematography is also superb
Well done to all involved and to the French people who give up their time and efforts to keep it all preserved
Tres bien 👏🏻
From someone who will probably never get to visit France or the Pacific, these videos are so amazing my guy. It's as if I am there myself. Thank you!
How many people watching said to themselves "mind your head" as you started on those stairs? You didn't let us down! Yet another enjoyable respectful historic video. School leaders should use these videos as they are both full of valuable for educational purposes as well us other people with an interest in history. Excellent work
I hope so too. Creating an educational resource was why I started this channel to begin with.
JD, you never cease to amaze. Your work and stories just get better and better. What a fascinating trip this has been. As a side note, it would not be a JD video without you bonking your head :)
Outstanding episode! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us on the little known stories and sites of WWII. Especially love the personal stories of the residents and the soldiers. Gone but not forgotten!
Those personal bits of history that your hosts are pointing out make the events there seem so small. It distills it down to these intimate vignettes. Outstanding. Beg pardon I know this is of topic , If I could I would like to ask everyone to wish Fighter Ace Colonel Bud Anderson a happy 100th birthday. We have so few hero's left from those times. A toast to him. Thanks very much
Oh the lengths you go to so that we may experience, though not unfortunately in person, the most moving places of such an epic and horrific importance to not just Americans, but the entire world! Thank you JD….more grateful than I can put into words!
Very touching to watch you walk in the same spaces as our heros of WW2. I have been watching from the beginning and have learned so much about the war with your travels. I was a fan of Civil War research but now I'm becoming really interested in the struggles of the 2nd World War.........thanks, in large part to you! Thank you.
Thanks! So glad that you're enjoying it and learning some stuff along the way. I've been learning a lot too :)
These series of videos have been brilliant. I love it when another one appears on YT. Thank you. I live in England and it is on my bucket list to follow in Easy Company’s footsteps across Europe one day. In the meantime I can live it vicariously through you and learn so much along the way. Keep them coming please!
Thanks for the clear backstory of St. Marie du Mont. I am Dutch myself and live in the north of France, nice to hear your comments about the old buildings. Very normal for us :). We live in a house build in 1785, during the restoration of the roof I found a piece shrapnel in the top beam. It probably ended up there in the 1st world war.
You have totally outdone yourself J.D on this little revisit to Normandy!
To see the French people hold onto all the German items left behind after the 4 years of occupation. Thankfully they preserved the items of hate the Germans had left, after all that happened here. Especially the artwork inside the house was stunning J.D trying to make the place homely from home. Or did some German know this would be important? One will never know?
Yeah, I’m glad that they saved it. Pretty cool to see.
@@TheHistoryUnderground It’s knowing what physically happened there and you got to touch and walk in the areas were hate fear and survival weee pretty low numbers. Great work I’ve got to say again J.D. slick and informative.
I never never never never never never never never never never ever ever ever ever ever ever want these to end. Good job mate! These videos are amazing!
Ha! Thanks. I appreciate that. Good to know that my face hasn't driven everybody off yet.
@@TheHistoryUnderground no way man these are so in-depth it’s awesome! I live in New Zealand so your fans are far and wide my friend!
Thank you For sharing the stories that aren’t told in history books or on a movie screen. We often forget that Individual people fought and sadly died. Too often the names of those that made up the greatest military operation are never known. My Uncles fought for freedom in Germany and later in France. I am a huge student of history dating back to grade school. Love your approach and the respect you show. Thank you!
This is better than anything on the history channel.
Thanks!
Thank you for producing such a wonderful series of documentaries about the Normandy Campaign. I have read all the books and watched many videos for nearly 60 years about this subject. Yours is the most insightful and I appreciate the care and respect you pay to the places and memories of those who fought and died in that campaign. God bless you.
JD and Erik bravo so much information you guys have done a great job telling the story of our men and theirs
Thank you.
What a beautiful church. What a great episode. Amazing the story behind the church. The hike up the tower was something to behold, along with the view.
Oh my goodness!!!! I’m running out of adjectives and verbs to describe your videos. WOW! 😯 Incredible! Again, Thank you for taking us along! It’s been incredible! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This was wonderful. Everyone needs to know about Normandy and the courage of the Allies as they fought against the Axis powers. We should remember that many if not most of the Germans were also wishing they weren't there. If only the German people spoke out against their despot before he claimed power, this would not have happened. As you made the scary climb up the tower, I'm sure you were stepping in the 1000 years of shadows of those who used that height to try to protect their town. Thank you for this.
An absolutely great video! Sadly, most of the veterans of D Day, and of the airborne division, are gone now.I’m looking forward to more of your videos that document this grand effort by the allies.I thoroughly enjoy your TH-cam channel.
Freaking cool!!!!! Totally amazing. I’m not scared of much, but heights like that are a little uncomfortable. Thanks for banging your head again for great content
My Dad was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne division during the D-Day assault. He was in Company G of the 508th PIR. I have his enlistment and discharge papers. He reportedly jumped on D-Day, I'm trying to find more information as to where and what this unit encountered that day. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I lost my Dad when I was just 7yo. I missed out on the stories of my Dad's life that my much older brothers were afforded.
You contact Footsteps Researchers.
@@TheHistoryUnderground thank you 😊
This is truly fantastic content, presented with the grace, dignity and respect it demands and deserves. Ironically, the more minutia you present in your recounted stories, highlighting the events and deeds of individuals, the more interesting it is, as it really reinforces the personal sacrifices and impact of tyranny, whether on soldiers or civilians. After all, they are just people like you and I, so we can relate as people, but are awestruck by their bravery and sacrifice. As you said, these stories are examples of average people like you and I, thrust into extraordinary circumstances and forced to do extraordinary things as a matter of survival. This is a fantastic series! Please keep them coming!
Completely in awe of this beautiful church. I am grateful for your ability to climb snd share with all of us. I must admit parts of the video gave me motion sickness. I do not handle heights well! The view was worth it. Thankful for others that saw fit to save the items left behind! The stories of the local folks bring history to life. Such beautiful people
Ha! Yeah, I’m not a fan of heights either but the view was something else.
It's sad to see so few subscribers for such excellent content.
So many people just don't care about history anymore, or at least they don't want to think about it.
I couldn't imagine getting to experience this.
I appreciate that. I figure that if I work hard and earn it, the subscribers will come.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I'm just saying if they don't, don't take it personally, because you're doing excellent work.
It's hard to "sell" history when most people don't even think about their own history.
Amazing work JD. Also my hats off to Erik I'm amazed at how much knowledge he has. 👍
Josh, thanks again for sharing this. It bring tears to my eyes knowing that my Father was there with the 101st.
This episode was totally awesome!! Thank you so much for showing us all of this! This is all so important to remembering our history!
My grandfather was part of the 101st in WW2 and I’m kinda following some of what he did in watching your video’s about D-day. This is an excellent series and your showing sites and telling personal stories that I’ve never seen on any other programming ever! You do excellent work!! Thank you again and keep up the awesome work you do!! Much appreciated!!
JD what you bring with these videos is not taught in school you bring it alive well done
Thanks! Hopefully the channel is helping to fill in some of the gaps 🙂
Ditto...that was something else...to walk in their footsteps. Another incredible tour! My Dad, 99ID 393IR, arrived on continent in 1944 and went to the Ardennes. Thank you so much.
My father in law came ashore at Utah Beach with the 1st Engineer Special Brigade 531st Shore Regiment. Norman Willard Gaither from Brunswick, Md was 30 years old on D Day. We traveled with him to Normandy for the 50th Anniversary celebration. He vividly recalled coming through Ste Marie du Mont and told us that right outside the main church there was an outdoor privy. He said that he remembered seeing a US GI standing at the privy obviously relieving himself. He was wearing a captured top hat and with a big smile was tipping it to all the passersby. He said he had not thought about that in 50 years but it popped back into his mind as soon as he saw the church! He passed away in 2010 at the ripe age of 95!
Your channel is by far the best history channel on youtube! Your level of knowledge and in depth detail is jus amazing,i only watch ww1 and ww2 history but ive learned so much about the american civil war from this channel too,keep up the great work man!
Thanks! Appreciate that. I've been learning a lot while making these :)
What an amazing vantage point and how important it was to occupy that church. Unbelievable tour with Charles.
Glad that we were able to share it.
Amazing to see the structure of the Church built over a thousand years ago. How much history it has seen. It is still standing as testimony that man must overcome and struggle for truth and life.
Not just a very nice showing of a very interesting site but the climb into the church tower also gives a very nice, different, historic perspective. Very nice!
🙏🏼
Do you know why spiral stairs in medieval towers always rotate to the right going up, to the left going down? The open space to the right going down enables a defender to wield a sword, whilst any attacker going up, impeded by the central support of the spiral, cannot wield his weapon in his right hand. p.s. the name you couldn't read at 19:34, appears to be Jochim, a version of Joachim.
Your D Day videos are just getting better and better. Outstanding work by you and your crew.
Appreciate that!
@@TheHistoryUnderground I'm old enough to have known WW2 vets when they were in their prime. None of them ever talked about their time in the war. Your videos make think about those men.
The head bump is your signature JD. Very interesting church, where two medics took up the work of taking care of the wounded while fighting was going on around them.
Yeah, these small doors are rough on my head. The story of the two medics was from the church in Angoville au Plain.
I'm french Canadian and i really apreciate the history and your Channel, ,, really Cool your videos 👍👍👍
JD, I hardly ever comment on YT videos but your channel is the best history channel on here, hands down. Been a subscriber since you were sub 50k subscribers and knew it even then. You give us content few are able to give and it's outstanding. Keep the great content coming. Loving it!
you must thank Charles for me for being such a gentleman to show you around like that and in Dutch we call it elephant backs - top of the barrel vaulting of the ceiling - love it - love
it
That is an absolutely stunning church. I am so glad it survived. Thank you for showing it so well.
It is amazing to see the landscape and the connection to the stories from WWII. It is especially personal to me as my family originated in Normandy and migrated to the US in the 1700’s. Also, my grandfather served in Europe during WWII. Thanks for your videos!
You two are an astonishing team.
Appreciate that!
Minute 09:50 - sure brings a new meaning to the phrase 'Spray 'n Pray!'
Another amazing walk through History. St. Marie du Mont a wonderful place of so much History. I tell you this teaming up with the Gettysburg Museum was a great move. Another great video JD!
My brother & I have visited the D Day area six times, we thought we`d seen everything there was to see, thanks to this channel there is lots more we didn`t know about that you guys have shown, we are looking forward to our next visit to France, fingers crossed in August, we have also done Bastogne & Arnhem.
Awesome! So glad to hear that.
JD; thankyou for all your informative episodes in Normandy. Your perspective is much more personnal.
This makes me miss Normandy so much. The last time my wife and I were there we ate at a little cafe' right next to the church and then bought a spent Panzer tank round at a little museum/store on the corner behind the church. It cost more to ship it back than we paid for it :-)
Another brilliant journey through history, the battle damage and the names of people long gone is just fascinating and makes me want to know more, thank you for your dedication in telling their stories
What a fantastic episode again. Those small details just .... just bring so much to the table. There's so much to see. Thank you for taking us along.
How fricken brave were these guys, who took this town by force ? Damn.
Tears of emotion.
Thank you Men & Women who changed history.
JD As you probably know from my patch logo to the left, I am a long time subscriber, admirer and praiser of your efforts to bring history to us. And, of course I am a frequent commentator. One little critique, please remember to take your hat off when in places of worship. Note that all the GI"s did it in the mass photo. Love your stuff.
Thanks. Appreciate that. As a personal conviction, I always take my hat off during a church service but tend to be a little more flexible at other times. No disrespect intended though.
There are exceptions!
@@moreorless25 in France it is custom to take your hat off when entering a church :)
Wow, great episode again. Been many times in that church but never knew about the writings and drawing in the dome. Thanks for sharing.
That church is absolutely incredible!!! Coming across that date of 1679 was just fascinating