Les Braves Monument

Les Braves is a striking stainless steel sculpture standing directly on Omaha Beach, the only artwork installed on any of the D-Day landing beaches. Created by French sculptor Anilore Banon and unveiled on June 6, 2004, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the monument honors the American soldiers who landed here on that fateful day in 1944. The sculpture consists of three distinct elements rising 9 meters high and spanning 15 meters wide: "Wings of Hope," "Rise, Freedom!" and "Wings of Fraternity." Seventeen vertical steel columns emerge from the sand where nearly 35,000 soldiers came ashore, with approximately 3,000 killed, wounded, or missing by nightfall. The monument faces the English Channel, looking toward the horizon from which the liberation forces arrived. Visitors can walk around the sculpture at any time, though checking tide schedules is advisable as high tide can reach the base. The changing light throughout the day, particularly at sunset, creates different visual effects on the polished steel surfaces.