18th Military Police Brigade lead way for D-Day ceremonies

NORMANDY, France — When it comes time to honor the soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought and died supporting the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, 65 years ago, there will be thousands who flock to the shores of Utah Beach and Omaha Beach to pay homage to the bravery and sacrifice of these heroes.

To justly honor these troops, the 18th Military Police Brigade was designated to plan, coordinate and conduct all U.S. support to the Normandy ceremonies commemorating the 65th anniversary of D-Day. For the execution of Task Force Normandy 65, weeks of careful planning and coordination have gone into making sure that the Veterans of D-Day know that their acts of heroism will never be forgotten.

Col. Thomas P. Evans, the commander of the 18th MP Bde., has been overseeing the command and control of the ceremonies as the Task Force commander. More than 700 soldiers will be participating in the ceremonies beginning June 3.

Maintaining such a large number of soldiers and coordinating with other military branches and foreign officials requires a level of dedication and attention to detail that the 18th MPs have in abundance.

Master Sgt. Michael Weatherholt, the operations sergeant major for the 18th MP Bde., praised the work done by the soldiers of the brigade. "The soldiers of the brigade from junior to senior levels have all done a spectacular job from initial planning to where we are today with the execution of ceremonies. This being a highly visible mission, everyone knows their part and is conducting their duties superbly," he said.

To make the mission a successful one, coordinating from the brigade's headquarters in Germany to France has been an essential part of the equation. Town mayors, cemetery directors, and the French Gendarmerie have all supported the brigade in its planning of the ceremonies.

"With all the coordination that has been conducted by the Task Force personnel for all ceremonies, this year's memorial anniversary is going to be extraordinary," said Weatherholt.

To be involved with a historic event such as this is a prestigious honor for the brigade. Having the opportunity to bring together U.S. Army Europe units with historic units like the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to pay tribute to the veterans is something the brigade is honored to be a part of, Weatherholt added.

Despite the logistical difficulties of planning and conducting such a large operation, the opportunity to pay their respects to the veterans has been a driving force for the brigade in making this "the most professional event to show our gratitude to our veterans for what they did many years ago," Weatherholt added.

Of course, the 18th MP Bde. has had support and collaboration from so many other units in making sure that everything falls into place.

"We couldn't have done it without the support of all the other units that were tasked to assist," said Command Sgt. Maj. Brenda Curfman, the command sergeant major of the 18th MP Bde.

The teamwork and partnership of TF Normandy echoes the alliances and cooperation that have made so many hundreds of military missions a success including one very important one 65 years ago on the beaches and in the air above Normandy.

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