Normandy/ Mont Blanc D-Day Memorial Expedition

25 May - 13 Jun 2016
 

Overview

To honor the global significance and sacrifices of WWII veterans, Myrmidon Expeditions led a WWII Memorial Expedition to France in Spring 2016. This veteran led Sea-to-Summit-to-Sea expedition was composed of a team of international veterans.

The amphibious invasion being just the start, this expedition will pay tribute to the entire campaign; the defense of the beachhead, the capture of Cherbourg, the drive to liberate Paris, the push to the Siegfried Line by winter, and all the later phases of the allied attack on axis powers on the western front.

The Expedition

a. Phase 1 (25 May – 1 Jun). The expedition began with a beach infil in order to pay tribute to the infamous Normandy Beach Landing of Operation Overlord and push east. Celebrating the Allied Forces march across France, the Myrmidon Team landed at Omaha beach and then biked 533 miles (858 km) to Chamonix, France.

b. Phase 2 (3-8 Jun). As a lofty feat representing the difficulty of the push to retake Western Europe, the Myrmidon Team made a summit bid of Mont Blanc (15,781'), the highest peak in Western Europe on D-Day 2016.

c. Phase 3 (9-13 Jun). Paying tribute to the southern amphibious landing of Operation Dragoon and subsequent liberation of the southern cities, the final phase was a 288 mile (464 km) bike exfil to Marseille in southern France, where the Myrmidon Team reflected on the significance of the world’s sacrifices during WWII as well as the challenges and success of the Myrmidon expedition.

The Team

The core Myrmidon Team for the Normandy/Mont Blanc D-Day Memorial Expedition consisted of both U.S. and international military veterans.