Veterans Honored by Louisiana Governor During Visit to D-Day Battlefields as Economic and Resilience Mission Comes to an End

Normandy, France / Louisiana – Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards began the third phase of his weeklong economic and resiliency trip on August 12, 2022, visiting hallowed World War II battlegrounds and paying honor to Louisiana’s military veterans. The governor will visit the crossroads town of Sainte-Mère-Église, the D-Day landing zone at Utah Beach, and Pointe du Hoc, where Army Rangers scaled an imposing cliff in search of a German gun battery.

The journey finished on Saturday with a visit to Omaha Beach, the site of some of the most intense fighting on D-Day. Governor Edwards will place a wreath at the grave of one of the Louisiana troops killed in battle during the Battle of Normandy at the Normandy American Cemetery. Following a brief ceremony, the party will pay a visit to the graves of other Louisiana veterans who are buried there.

“It is a humbling experience to retrace the footsteps of brave soldiers who did their duty, confronted tyranny, and, in many cases, made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of freedom,” Governor Edwards said. “I am honored to represent all Louisianans here in Normandy as we salute those members of the U.S. military and their allies whose courageous actions secured the blessings of liberty that we continue to enjoy today.”

Govermor Edwards visited the Pegasus Bridge on Thursday, where the first shots of the D-Day invasion were fired, and recalled Louisiana’s unique contributions to the Normandy invasion. Tens of thousands of Allied soldiers gained a critical beachfront footing on June 6, 1944, after being ferried ashore by shallow-draft “Higgins boats” built at New Orleans shipyards. That heroic combat aided in turning the tide of the European war.

On June 6, 2000, exactly fifty-six years later, the National World War II Museum opened in New Orleans. Today, the museum is a significant economic generator for Louisiana, generating more than $70 million in revenue in 2021 and supporting more than 400 direct and indirect jobs. New Orleans & Company executive vice president and general counsel Walter J. Leger III accompanied the Louisiana group to Normandy and joined Louisiana Governor Edwards in raising awareness about the enormous museum expansion and $400 million funding drive presently underway.

“New Orleans is celebrated around the world as a center of creativity and innovation, and this mission has allowed us to promote visitorship to Louisiana, to renew our bond of friendship and economic partnership with the people of France, and to promote what is one of the leading museums in America,” Leger said. “With the ongoing development of unforgettable exhibits and technological marvels, the National World War II Museum continues to be a source of great pride for the city, the state, and the country. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Gov. Edwards to shine a light on this extraordinary New Orleans institution in the global marketplace.”