Gouesnou US Memorial (France), in tribute to the American Heroes fallen in the summer of 1944

Chère Madame, Cher Monsieur,

Dear American Friends,

The City of Gouesnou, population 6.528, is located in Brittany at France's western tip, near the strategic military harbor of Brest. Our city bore witness to tremendous sacrifice during World War II. Two months after D-Day, on August 7, 1944 – the first day of the siege of Brest by General George S. Patton's Third Army – enemy troops murdered 46 people, including 43 innocent French civilians in the hamlet of Penguérec, marking the largest civilian massacre in Brittany during the war. In the following weeks, until early September 1944, your ancestors fought heroically through extremely violent battles to liberate us from Nazi occupation.

Here in Gouesnou, we consider it our sacred duty to honor both hero soldiers and civilian victims, preserving their memory for future generations. To ensure we never forget and to prevent history from repeating itself, our city undertakes numerous initiatives: annual tributes to soldiers and victims, funding for historical research, commemorative public events, and publication of the graphic novel "Mémoires de chair et de douleur" ("Memories of Flesh and Pain").

A Discovery That Changed Everything

Thirty years ago, in 1994, the City of Gouesnou – with contributions from private French citizens – erected a stele honoring American soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division and 8th Infantry Division who fought here. At that time, we believed only 45 soldiers from these divisions had lost their lives in these battles.

However, groundbreaking research by historian Dimitri Poupon, funded by the City of Gouesnou between 2018 and 2022, revealed a sobering truth: more than 200 American soldiers actually lost their lives here 81 years ago.

Building a Memorial Worthy of Their Sacrifice

This past year, the City of Gouesnou decided to demonstrate our profound respect and recognition for all American soldiers who fell for our liberation by constructing a new memorial.

The project required extensive historical research to precisely identify every fallen soldier. Through Thierry Chaunu, president of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, we connected with J.R. Neubeiser and Richard Azzaro from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Foundation—Society of the Honor Guard. Working alongside Denis Bertin, president of our local association Les Amis du Patrimoine, this dedicated team spent eight months reconstructing the battle history and locating these heroes.

Their discoveries were remarkable: the fighting lasted an entire month, American casualties were at least five times higher than previously thought, and soldiers from additional American units beyond the 2nd and 8th Infantry Divisions participated in the battles. Thanks to their tireless, rigorous work, 229 names are now engraved in engraved granite piers, ensuring they will never be forgotten.

Memorial Inauguration

The first phase is now complete: on November 16, 2025, the Gouesnou American Memorial was inaugurated in the hamlet of Fourneuf, where the deadliest fighting occurred. The Memorial consists of a monumental gate and granite piers, as well as a kersantite life-size sculpture of an American G.I. created by renowned sculptor Jean-Philippe Drévillon.

Among those present were about a hundred descendants of these heroes and American citizens living in France, soldiers and representatives of veterans' associations. Their presence brought tremendous honor to our town, its officials, and residents.

The inauguration of the Memorial is just one step. We are continuing our work of preserving the memory, as well as conducting research. Thanks to the constant work of our volunteers in the United States and France, new names will also be added to the Memorial pillars very soon!

Our Gratitude

The Mayor of Gouesnou and the Municipal Council extend gratitude to those supporting us through donations via https://www.every.org/gouesnou-us-memorial (in the USA) and https://www.gouesnou-us-memorial.com/ (in France).

Your contributions to this important memorial are publicly and gratefully acknowledged. They help us to continue our work: acquiring military archives, meeting with schoolchildren, installing panels on the Memorial site and in the town to explain the history and honor the soldiers, etc.

Chère Madame, cher Monsieur, Dear American friends,

We would consider it as a great honor if you would also agree to support our project (budget : $ 300 000) as it would certainly help us achieve our goal: to ensure that these American heroes are never forgotten.