"Dress right dress!"

U.S. and German Soldiers stand in formation during a D-Day remembrance ceremony at St. James

This military verbal command, which is used to line up troops, is probably still ringing in the heads of the U.S., French, and German military members that lined up side by side in several ceremonies yesterday in the Normandy region of France.

Near the steps of the center chapel at the St. James American Cemetery

Our first stop was at the St. James American Cemetery located in the southwest region of Normandy. The bright white crosses that spread in formation across the green grass were a solemn backdrop to the ceremony that took place on the steps of the center chapel, which is adorned with flags and three words that summed up their sacrifice - "Duty Honor Country".

Multinational representatives at the German cemetery

After the first ceremony, the group traveled a short distance to a German Military Cemetery, Mont d' Huisnes, and "dress right dressed" into a semi-circle for another ceremony that placed the military in a ring around the beautiful memorial that overlooks the English Channel and the rocky islet topped by a famous Gothic abbey, Mont St Michel, that stood in the distance.

After a traditional French lunch, the allied troop group made their way to the coast for a big ceremony at the base of the dramatically impressive Mont St. Michel. Unlike the other ceremonies that take place at more private cemeteries, having the event in front of one of the most visited tourist sites in France brought an enthusiastic audience that lined the ceremony and the viewing locations all the way up the islet.

American troops at Mont St. Michel

The thankful crowd represented well the same nations as the military members that were in formation.

Equal to the words said to commemorate the past by civilian and military leaders during these ceremonies were the present strong visuals of these military members standing shoulder to shoulder as partners in the European region that work together toward common goals for a peaceful Europe and also in support of current operations in Afghanistan.

Words express meaning for how we feel for the actions of our veterans, but more than words, I think those that died throughout the Normandy region, Europe and the world during the second great war would be even more proud of the visual representation of the bond these military members share today as they stand "dress right dress"...side by side.

LCDR Taylor Clark
EUCOM Chief of Media