What better way to mark the anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy than by reflecting on the origins of the Franco-American alliance?
Jérémie Robert (above right), consul general of France in New York, helped unveil a new historical marker (above) commemorating the 1824 and 1825 visits to West Point of Maj. Gen. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution.
Col. Bryan Gibby (above left), Department of History head, led the ceremony and his history department colleague, Rob McDonald, provided details of festivities to welcome Lafayette, whose visits were part of a tour of all 24 U.S. states at the time.
Denise VanBuren and Patrice Birner, president general and N.Y. state regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, respectively, placed a wreath by the marker, which is the 73rd of a projected 150 that will dot the eastern half of the U.S. in advance of the bicentennial of Lafayette’s tour.
The markers result from the efforts of Julien Icher (bottom left), founder and president of The Lafayette Trail project, who also spoke at the event.
The ceremony concluded with a moment of silence in memory of D-Day and the West Point Band’s (bottom right) rendition of George M. Cohan’s 1917 song, “Over There.”
(Photos by Christopher Hennen/USMA PAO)