Naval Special Warfare Dedicates Normandy NCDU, S&R Monument Park
05 June 2024
NORMANDY, France -- Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, delivered remarks during a ceremony to dedicate the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU) and Scouts & Raiders (S&R) Monument Park at Omaha Beach, May 30.
Thanks to nearly two years of relentless work and collaboration between the National UDT-Navy SEAL Museum and Denis Madouasse, the mayor of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France, the monument park was opened to the public on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. It serves as a tribute to the selfless sacrifice of NCDU and S&R service members during the D-Day invasion.
During his remarks, Davids discussed the courage and grit displayed by the men whose surveillance and beach-clearing efforts contributed to the D-Day invasion, underscoring the enduring importance of global alliances in achieving common objectives.
"As we dedicate this park, we salute the brave NCDU service members and S&Rs, forefathers of Naval Special Warfare, for their service and sacrifice, said Davids. “This monument will carry forward their legacy, ensuring their stories inspire future generations to cherish and defend the liberties we hold dear.”
Overlooking the shores of Omaha Beach, the monument tells the story of the NCDU and S&Rs teams through maps, historical panels, and artifacts.
The monument’s center features a Living Beach with a hedgehog barrier. This barrier was a common obstacle cleared by the NCDUs during the D-Day invasion. The beach is surrounded by sand from global locations where NSW service members have trained, fought, and died. The sand was spread around the hedgehog by NSW service members and the friends and family of NCDU service members and S&Rs.
Before the monument’s dedication, Davids and NSW Force Master Chief Walter Dittmar paid their respects at the NCDU and S&R gravesites in the Normandy American Cemetery and Monument. This cemetery, where over 9,000 American service members are interred, honors those who fell during the Normandy invasion from June 6 to August 30, 1944.
Naval Special Warfare is the nation's elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet's reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conflict.