Normandy 2023 - Purple Heart Lane - Paratrooper Research Team ©

The road known as 'Purple Heart Lane' is the N13 road from Sainte-Mère-Église through Blosville, Houesville and Saint-Côme-du-Mont towards Carentan. The bridges along the road had to be taken to get to Carentan.
The N13 was defended by the Wehrmacht, Carentan by two battalions of the 6th Fallschirmjäger-Regiment (2nd Fallschirmjäger-Div.), tasked to hold on to the city until the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, arrived.
Purple Heart refers to the US medal for a wounded soldier. The nickname Purple Heart Lane derrives from the many casualties (mostly of 3/502 PIR) it took to get to Carentan (from the 8th to the 13th of June 1944).

A large classic signpost, adorned with a 101st Airborne Division logo and a Purple Heart medal, has been erected near the roundabout at the end of the N13, near Carentan.

25 years after WWII had ended, the 101st Airborne Division had their 24th Annual reunion in Washington DC. The 'Purple Heart Lane' was featured in the programm.

Next to the text in French and English, the info panel has an aerial photo on it, a portrait of LTC Robert G. Cole and a group photo of 4 paratroopers with a captured swastika flag.

The 'Cole's Bayonet Charge Memorial' issituated just across the N13 at the same roundabout. This impressive monument reflects on the heroic attack with happened on June 11th, 1944.

Almost every year 'The Airborne March' or 'Carentan Liberty March' commemorate the attack on- and the taking of Carentan. Hundreds of 101st AB re-enactors march along Purple Heart Lane towards the village square.

© picture courtesy of Max van den Wijngaard

In 2023 the jump off point of 'The Carentan Liberty March' was at La Guidonnerie Domaine Airborne the HQ of the Dutch Klondike (501st PIR) Living History Group. An impressive event.

Lest we forget the heroes of Purple Heart Lane.