St. Mere Eglise was the principal objective of the 82nd Airborne on the early morning of June 6. It was the site of three days of intense fighting as the Germans repeatedly counter attacked in attempts to retake the strategic town from the occupying American paratroopers. The village is perhaps best remembered for its church, in the center of the town square, where Paratrooper John Steel of the 505th PIR became trapped when his parachute was ensnared by a steeple. He watched helplessly as the waiting Germans killed the rest of his company.
The stained-glass windows of the church are a tribute to those who liberated St. Mere Eglise. The windows include, center top, the airborne wings, and in the upper left, the insignia of the 82nd Airborne Division (AA for "All American Division"). The parachute and glider that made up the badge of American Airborne Command are present in the lower center, and faint parachutes are a constant motif in the windows.
