World Battlefronts: 1,500 at Plouvien

Until last week Plouvien was just another of the quaint, peaceful villages that dot the Breton peninsula—a set pattern of small tidy houses, large untidy barns and barnyards, a few shops, a church at the crossroads. Even their names—Plouescat, Plougonven, Ploudaniel—bear the patina of time: plou is the ancient Celtic prefix for "parish."

Plouvien had been left behind by U.S. tank columns bearing south to the siege of Brest, ten miles away. By the time their vanguard had passed, Plouvien's 2,500 citizens had decked their cottages with the tricolor and with homemade U.S. flags, The men came in from the fields...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!