Memorial Ceremony

On 13 November 2004 in the village of Plottes (near Tournus in the Saône-et-Loire department) a dedication and memorial celebration was held for the crew and passengers of a B-26 bomber that crashed near Plottes on 13 November 1944. Over 100 people attended, including a number of American descendants of those that died on the B-26. Some came from America just for this event. The memorial celebration included a parade through the village, a display in the village town hall about the crew and passengers of the B-26, and the laying of flowers at the village memorial to the fallen soldiers.

After the memorial celebration there was a lunch with the Americans and the mayor of Plottes and the town council. Afterwards an informal memorial took place were and a marker was placed on the crash site. During this informal memorial the Americans were able to talk with two village residents who were at the crash site on 13 November 1944.

The entrance to village of Plottes.



The building is the memorial to the American service men that where killed 13 November 1944 when their plane crashed in the woods of Plottes.



Memorial to the American service men that where killed on 13 November 1944 when their plane crashed in the woods of Plottes. 

During the memorial celebration there were a number of speakers, from left to right starting with the Mayor of Plottes (with sash) - Daniel Baconnet, the Prefect of the Saône-et-Loire department (similar to a governor) - Michel Hurlin, local Member of Parliament - Arnaud Montebourg, US Consul in Lyon - Angie Bryan and French resistance fighter - Lucien Renoud-Grappin.



A number of French veterans attended the memorial celebration.


 
A parade preceded the memorial celebration.



The parade included local school children.

 

These children were from a local school and took part in the parade.



American Lance Yohannan (right), nephew of Corporal Yohannan, with a village resident present on November 13, 1944.



This is the memorial that was placed at crash site on November 13th, 2004.



This is a group photo with the Americans and residents of Plottes.


 
Two American relatives of the dead with a village resident present on November 13, 1944.

Laying of flowers at the crash site by Mayor of Plottes - Daniel Baconnet (left) and American Lance Yohannan (right) nephew of Corporal Yohannan.



This is the group of Americans that came for the memorial celebration. They are standing in front of the chapel that held the soldiers bodies.


 
Mayor of Plottes - Daniel Baconnet, accepts a framed letter from the Americans thanking his town for remembering those that died.

(Continued)