Liberty Road – La Voie de la Liberté
Colonel Guy Vasselais’ initiative to create the Liberty Road – Voie de la Liberté constitutes a lasting tribute to the Liberation of France and the sacrifices made during the Second World War.
It was inaugurated on September 18, 1944.
The Liberty Road follows the route of General Patton‘s U.S. Third Army and the French 2nd DB (Armoured Division), the historic path of Operation Cobra in 1944.
This operation marked a decisive breakthrough in the Cotentin Peninsula, leading to the liberation of Avranches on July 30, 1944.
The Liberty Road links Sainte-Mère l’Eglise to Bastogne in Belgium, and stands as a tangible testament to the courage and determination of the Allied forces in the fight against Nazism.
The breakthrough Normandy to Metz, in eastern France, lasted 54 days, a significant advance for Allied troops.
The Borne 00 – Marker 00 marks the precise spot where General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and his men landed on Utah Beach and from where he made the crucial decision to launch the assault.
Similarly, Borne 0 – Marker 0 is located in front of the town hall of Sainte-Mère-l’Église. These two markers symbolise the inauguration of the road linking Utah Beach to Sainte-Mère-l’Église.
Created by François Cogné, these markers are strategically placed at one-kilometre intervals along the Route de la Liberté, providing lasting memory of the historic path to liberation.
War Memorials:
Juno Beach: Bernieres-sur-mer – Corseulles-sur-mer – Graye-sur-mer – Douvres-la-Delivrande
Gold Beach: Arromanches – Ver-sur-mer
Sword Beach: Ouistreham-Riva Bella
The Landing Beaches:
Sword – Gold – Juno – Omaha – Utah
Rediscover all the landing beaches during the 75th Anniversary Commemorations and Standing with Giants art installation in Ver-sur-mer (2024)
Coordinates: Milestone 00 on Utah Beach: Lat 49.413386 – Long -1.173743
Milestone 0 in Sainte Mère l’Eglise: Lat 49.409693 – Long -1.318452
